BYU Will Face Saint Mary’s In Semifinals Of 2020 WCC Tournament
Mar 8, 2020, 3:34 AM | Updated: 3:42 am
BYU Cougars guard Jake Toolson (5) drives on Saint Mary's Gaels guard Alex Ducas (44) as the teams play in an NCAA basketball game in Provo at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020. (Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – After waiting a full week to find out who they would play in the 2020 West Coast Conference Tournament, BYU finally knows their opponent. The Cougars will take on the Saint Mary’s Gaels, Monday night in the Semifinals of the WCC Tournament.
The updated #WCChoops bracket. #BYU vs. Saint Mary’s on Monday night.#BYUhoops #GoCougs @kslsports pic.twitter.com/tMzFakzTA0
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 8, 2020
Saint Mary’s escaped against six-seed Pepperdine on Saturday night in the Quarterfinals in double overtime by a score of 89-82. Gaels guard Jordan Ford scored 42 points with three of those 42 off an incredible three-pointer to send Saint Mary’s into a Monday night showdown with BYU.
#BYU’s next opponent is now known. The Cougars will face Jordan Ford and Saint Mary’s in the Semifinals of the @WCChoops Tournament on Monday night. #BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/6f4DgR7p18
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 8, 2020
This is the third time this season that BYU and Saint Mary’s will square off against one another. The previous two meetings were a pair of classics with Saint Mary’s getting the better of BYU in Moraga in overtime and then TJ Haws hitting a game-winner the night before the birth of his first son to give the Cougars a win in Provo.
Since joining the West Coast Conference in 2011, BYU has only faced Saint Mary’s two other times in the WCC Tournament. BYU is 1-1 in games against Saint Mary’s in Las Vegas, with the most recent meeting coming two years ago in a game that saw the Cougars upset SMC.
When #BYU tips off in the WCC semi-finals on Monday, it'll be nine days since the Cougars last played. But the Cougars are taking advantage of the time off to be ready for March.#GoCougs // @kslsports pic.twitter.com/9gDEGJVGsK
— Zak Hicken (@zakhicken) March 7, 2020
Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett said in the postgame press conference after his team’s win over Pepperdine that it dawned on him that his team would have to face another talented guard in TJ Haws. Similar to what they faced in Pepperdine’s Coleby Ross in the quarterfinals.
Whenever BYU has been a two-seed in a conference tournament, the Cougars have always advanced to the Championship Game of that particular tournament. They’ll look to extend that streak on Monday against a Saint Mary’s team that is still working to secure its place in the NCAA Tournament and win their second straight WCC Tournament Championship.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
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