Sant.a Clara Advances to WCC Championship After Defeating Saint Mary’s

The Santa Clara Broncos defeated the No. 21 Saint Mary's Gaels 76–71 in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament on Monday night in Las Vegas. The victory sends Santa Clara to the conference championship game for the first time since 2007 and keeps the team’s hopes of reaching the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament alive. Guard Sash Gavalyugov led the Broncos with 23 points and delivered the decisive moment late in the game. With Santa Clara holding a narrow two-point lead in the final seconds, Gavalyugov drained a clutch three-pointer with 12.1 seconds remaining, beating the shot clock and effectively securing the win. After the basket, he celebrated with a “night-night” gesture, signaling the end of Saint Mary’s comeback attempt. Santa Clara, now 26–7 on the season, will face the No. 12 Gonzaga Bulldogs in the WCC championship game. Gonzaga enters the matchup with a 29–3 record and is already projected to make the NCAA Tournament regardless of the outcome. However, Santa Clara entered the semifinal considered a “bubble” team, ranked No. 42 in the NCAA NET rankings and No. 37 by KenPom. A win in the championship would guarantee the Broncos an automatic bid to the national tournament.

The victory also marked a milestone for Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek, who earned the 600th win of his coaching career. The Broncos were slight underdogs entering the matchup, as Saint Mary’s had been favored by 5.5 points. Santa Clara received strong offensive support throughout the game. Elijah Mahi contributed 19 points, while Allen Graves added 10 points. The Broncos managed to hold off several Saint Mary’s runs in a tightly contested matchup that featured 14 lead changes and six ties. Saint Mary’s, which finished the season at 27–5, was led by Paulius Murauskas with 26 points. Mikey Lewis added 23 points, and Andrew McKeever recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Despite the loss, the Gaels are still expected to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The matchup was significant because it ended a recent trend in the conference tournament. Since 2021, the championship game had featured Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s each year. Santa Clara’s win broke that streak and created a new championship matchup in the WCC.

With a conference title and NCAA Tournament berth on the line, Santa Clara now prepares to face Gonzaga in what could be the most important game of the Broncos’ season.