PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The surging Saint Mary’s Gaels, ranked among the nation’s elite with an 18-3 record, travel to face the Portland Pilots in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball rematch Saturday at the Chiles Center.

Saint Mary’s, coming off a dominant 81-51 nonconference win over Oregon State on Wednesday, has won 10 of its last 11 games. Its only loss in that stretch was a 62-54 road defeat at Santa Clara on Jan. 17. The Gaels handily defeated Portland 78-57 just over three weeks ago in Moraga, California, on Jan. 2.

Portland (10-11) seeks to split the season series and build momentum after a 71-58 road victory at Loyola Marymount last Saturday. The Pilots have shown resilience at home, including an overtime win over Pacific and a victory over Oregon State this month, but consistency has eluded them in conference play.

A key matchup will feature two of the WCC’s top guards. Saint Mary’s is led by Joshua Dent, who is averaging 16.0 points and 7.2 assists over his last five games. Dent recorded a triple-double with 16 points and 11 assists in just 32 minutes against Oregon State. For Portland, Mikah Ballew provides a scoring spark, averaging 12.0 points per game in his last five outings. He was held to just two points in the first meeting with Saint Mary’s but is coming off a 17-point performance against LMU.

The Gaels’ defense, which allows just 62.2 points per game, will test a Portland offense averaging 74.6. Saint Mary’s has held opponents under 60 points in nine games this season. Portland must find an answer for Saint Mary’s efficient offense, which shoots 49.8% from the field as a team.

Following this game, Saint Mary’s prepares for a pivotal showdown at Gonzaga on Jan. 31. Portland hits the road for a game at Pacific on Jan. 28 before a trip to Washington State.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST Saturday at the Chiles Center in Portland.