Preview: Saint Mary’s Gaels at San Francisco Dons

SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — A surging Saint Mary’s squad, ranked among the nation’s elite, puts its seven-game win streak on the line against a formidable San Francisco team seeking a signature victory when the West Coast Conference rivals meet Tuesday night at War Memorial Gymnasium.

The Gaels (16-2, 5-0 WCC) have been dominant since early December, with their only losses coming on the road against Vanderbilt and Boise State. They arrive off an 88-82 home win over Washington State on Saturday, powered by a combined 50 points from guards Joshua Dent and Paulius Murauskas.

Dent, a dynamic junior, has been the engine for Saint Mary’s. He is coming off a 26-point, 4-assist performance against the Cougars and has averaged 15.1 points and 5.6 assists over the last seven contests. His backcourt partnership with Murauskas, who had 24 points and six assists Saturday, forms one of the league’s most potent combinations.

The Dons (12-7, 3-2) have shown resilience at home and are looking to rebound from a narrow double-overtime road loss at Loyola Marymount last week. They responded with an 80-60 victory at Pepperdine on Saturday, fueled by a breakout 27-point performance from sophomore forward Junjie Wang.

Wang’s emergence adds a critical scoring threat alongside consistent contributors Tyrone Riley and David Fuchs. His efficiency will be vital against a disciplined Saint Mary’s defense that has held opponents to an average of 62.2 points during its win streak.

San Francisco has defended its home court well, with notable non-conference wins over Mississippi State and Loyola Chicago. The intimate atmosphere at War Memorial Gymnasium provides a distinct home-court advantage the Dons will need to counter Saint Mary’s precision and depth.

This matchup is the first of two regular-season meetings between the programs, with the rematch scheduled for Feb. 7 in Moraga. A win for the Dons would shake up the WCC standings and bolster their postseason resume. For the Gaels, it represents another hurdle in their pursuit of a conference title and high NCAA tournament seeding.

Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. PST.