Preview: Seattle Redhawks at Saint Mary’s Gaels

MORAGA, Calif. (Interstat) — Two of the West Coast’s hottest teams will clash Sunday when the Seattle Redhawks visit the Saint Mary’s Gaels in a nonconference men’s basketball showdown at McKeon Pavilion.

The Redhawks (12-3) and Gaels (13-2) bring nearly identical sterling records into the Jan. 4 matchup, each having won five of their last six games. Seattle is coming off a 69-55 home victory over Washington State on Tuesday, while Saint Mary’s routed Pepperdine 72-45 on the road the same night.

Saint Mary’s, led by forward Paulius Murauskas, has been dominant during its current stretch. Murauskas is averaging 18.5 points over his last four games, including a 19-point performance against Pepperdine. The Gaels’ only loss since late November was a narrow 68-67 defeat at Boise State on Dec. 14.

Seattle counters with its own balanced attack, coming off a win where Brayden Maldonado scored 15 points and Will Heimbrodt added nine points, three assists and three blocks. A player to watch for the Redhawks is Jojo Murphy, who provided a spark with eight points and two assists in 16 minutes off the bench against Washington State.

The Redhawks’ three losses have all been close, including a 67-59 setback to San Francisco and a 74-71 overtime loss at UC Santa Barbara. Their defense will be tested by a disciplined Saint Mary’s offense that has scored 70 or more points in eight of its 13 wins.

This game serves as a final major nonconference test for both programs before diving into their respective league schedules next week. The Gaels have been particularly stout at home in Moraga, winning their last four at McKeon Pavilion by an average of 26 points.

Sunday’s winner will secure a pivotal resume-building victory as the 2025-26 season moves into conference play. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. PST.