Which Saint Mary’s squad will show up when the Gaels host the Runnin’ Utes?
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Following a weeklong break from action after a 1-2 showing at the Charleston Classic, the University of Utah men’s basketball team will play again Monday night when the Runnin’ Utes face Saint Mary’s in California.
It is Utah’s lone true road game of the nonconference slate, and the matchup (9 p.m. MST, ESPNU) will be an opportunity for the Runnin’ Utes to pick up a Quad 1 victory.
The Gaels, even after a 3-3 start, are currently ranked No. 58 in the KenPom ratings.
The question is, which Saint Mary’s team will take the floor at University Credit Union Pavilion against Utah?
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The Gaels started the year ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press poll and beat New Mexico (No. 52 in KenPom) during the opening week of the season.
Saint Mary’s, though, followed that with a three-game losing streak — it started with a home loss against Weber State, then back-to-back losses to San Diego State and Xavier by an average of 21 points at the Continental Tires Main Event in Las Vegas.
The Gaels averaged just 53.3 points per game during the losing streak and shot just 32.8% from the field — including 21.6% from 3-point range — in that stretch.
In its most recent game, though, Saint Mary’s got its offense rolling in an 89-55 victory over Davidson in Moraga, California, late last week. The Gaels shot 52.3% from the field in beating the Wildcats and made 15 of 31 3-pointers, one less 3 made than their previous three games combined.
Up next is a Utah squad still searching for its identity as well — after a 3-0 start to the season, the Runnin’ Utes lost their final two games at the Charleston Classic against a pair of teams (Houston and St. John’s) that relied on defensive pressure to disrupt the Utah offense.
“We’re going to learn and grow from this thing. We’ve got to get healthy, our depth was tested, especially the last couple nights,” Utah coach Craig Smith told the Deseret News after the loss to the Red Storm. “Certainly I’m not discouraged and I’m excited about this group.”
Smith’s squad includes three holdover starters from last season, mixed with a pair of transfers — it’s a group that has shown flashes of a team that could be a factor in the conference race.
Before league play hits in a month, though, there are games like the Saint Mary’s contest that will present challenges — as well as opportunities for Utah to add to its NCAA resume, if it can win.
On Thursday, the Runnin’ Utes will play unbeaten Hawaii at the Delta Center, and on Dec. 9, Utah hosts rival BYU, which is off to a 6-0 start.
“We intentionally built a great schedule, and we’re excited about it. But we’ve got to learn from this, we’ve got to tighten things up and we’ve got to get better,” Smith said.
The Gaels are led by sophomore guard Aidan Mahaney, who is averaging 13.8 points and 3.0 assists per game. Senior center Mitchell Saxen is putting up near double-double numbers, averaging 10.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
Utes on the air
Utah (3-2) at Saint Mary’s (3-3)
Monday, 9 p.m. MST
University Credit Union Pavilion (Moraga, Calif.; capacity: 3,500)
TV: ESPNU
Radio: 700 AM
Saint Mary’s is also one of the nation’s top defenses — the Gaels are sixth in the country in scoring defense (57.8 points per game) and 37th in field goal percentage defense (38.1%).
Utah is familiar with tough defenses — Houston leads the nation in scoring defense (49 ppg), and in its win over the Utes, the Cougars turned 15 Utah turnovers into 19 points.
St. John’s, meanwhile, had a 16-5 edge in fast break points over Utah, often forcing the Runnin’ Utes out of rhythm offensively.
Saint Mary’s will attempt to do that, too.
“You find out things that you are good at when you play really great teams and how you can be effective. Whether it’s scoring the ball or your personnel who can play in that kind of game, who’s ready and who’s not, and what works on the defensive end,” Smith said.
“On the flip side, you get exposed for what you are or what you aren’t. And then, we’ve got to get better at those things.”
