Gonzaga Vs St Mary's Ca: Saint Mary's 70-59 Win Caps Bittersweet End to WCC Rivalry

In a moment that crystallizes conference realignment and the close of a long-running matchup, Saint Mary’s defeated Gonzaga 70-59 on Feb 28, 2026, altering the final standings and the emotional landscape of the league. The gonzaga vs st mary's ca meeting now serves as both a competitive result and a symbolic finale as Gonzaga prepares to depart the conference.

Gonzaga Vs St Mary's Ca: Final WCC Regular-Season Game and Title Ramifications

The last WCC regular-season game ever for Gonzaga came at Saint Mary’s. The context entering that game made it larger than a single result: if Saint Mary’s won, the two teams would share the WCC season title. Saint Mary’s did win 70-59 on Feb 28, 2026, which means the two programs share the league’s regular-season crown. This outcome folds competitive consequence into what is already a narrative about conference change.

Game recap: Saint Mary's 70-59 Gonzaga (Feb 28, 2026)

The headline is simple and decisive: Saint Mary’s 70-59 Gonzaga, Feb 28, 2026. That result is the immediate takeaway from the final regular-season meeting between the programs in this era of the conference.

Conference realignment and the end of an era

Conference realignment will send Gonzaga to the rebooted Pac-12, a move described as taking the program’s national profile with it. The departure reframes every recent meeting, not least the gonzaga vs st mary's ca finale. Observers have invoked the end of familiar landmarks and people tied to the rivalry: "No more Mark Few. No more McCarthey Athletic Center, " which opened in 2004 and is known as The Kennel. Gonzaga has played 175 WCC games in The Kennel and lost 10 there. Bracketology notes a new No. 1 overall seed in the latest 2026 March Madness bracket predictions, and rankings references include the Top 25 Poll, NET rankings and Power 37.

How other WCC programs fared against Gonzaga

• Pepperdine’s last victory over Gonzaga came in 2002, before Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; the Waves have lost 51 straight to Gonzaga since that win.
• San Diego has lost 20 consecutive games to Gonzaga; the Toreros are 4-54 against coach Mark Few.
• Loyola Marymount has dropped 35 of the last 37 meetings with Gonzaga.
• Santa Clara is 23-7 this season and might secure its first NCAA tournament bid in 30 years; the Broncos lost to Gonzaga by 12 and by eight points in their meetings this season but have lost 53 of the last 57 games in the series.
• San Francisco won national championships when Bill Russell was on campus in the 1950s; the Dons have lost 35 consecutive games to Gonzaga.
• Pacific has faced Few-coached Gonzaga teams 23 times and lost all 23, including a recent 71-62 contest described as a grinder.
• Seattle joined the WCC this season; when Seattle played Jan. 2 in Spokane it was the first meeting since 1980, a game Gonzaga won but that required overtime. The teams’ second meeting that season ended 71-50.

Portland’s upset and Gonzaga’s final home game

Portland produced Gonzaga’s only WCC loss so far this season, defeating the Zags 87-80. The Pilots limited No. 6 Gonzaga to roughly 40 percent shooting and beat the highest-ranked opponent in their program’s history. Prior to that upset, Portland had lost 20 straight to Gonzaga and were 2-47 against coach Mark Few. Coach Shantay Legans reflected on the surreal feel of that night in postgame remarks: "If you had told me at the beginning of the year that we’d be taking the ball out with under a minute to go, and we’re up 11 on Gonzaga, I’d be like, 'What reality are we living in?'"

After that sequence, Portland visited The Kennel Wednesday night; Gonzaga won that final WCC home game 89-48.

Saint Mary’s place in the rivalry and lingering details

Saint Mary’s has been the program Gonzaga could not routinely crack. Randy Bennett’s teams have beaten Mark Few 17 times, which accounts for 41. 6 percent of Few’s conference defeats. Over the past 12 meetings, the Gaels are 6-6 against Gonzaga. That included clinch — unclear in the provided context.

The result, the departures and the statistical record across the conference combine to make the final chapter between these programs more than a single box score. As conference alignment redraws competitive geography, the 70-59 win on Feb 28, 2026 will be read as both a championship moment for Saint Mary’s and a closing line on a long-standing WCC rivalry.