Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Saint Mary’s and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They are fully in control with a 44-22 lead over Santa Clara.
Saint Mary’s entered the matchup having won eight straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it nine, or will Santa Clara step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Santa Clara Broncos @ Saint Mary’s Gaels
Current Records: Santa Clara 15-7, Saint Mary’s 16-6
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 11 p.m. ET
- Where: University Credit Union Pavilion — Moraga, California
- TV: ESPN University
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $16.20
What to Know
Santa Clara has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They and the Saint Mary’s Gaels will face off in a West Coast battle at 11:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at University Credit Union Pavilion. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Winning is just a little bit easier when your three-point shooting is a whole 25% better than the opposition, a fact Santa Clara proved on Thursday. Everything went their way against the Waves as the Broncos made off with a 94-71 victory. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge starting at the 14:28 mark of the first half, when Santa Clara was facing a 15-0 deficit.
Santa Clara can attribute much of their success to Carlos Marshall Jr., who scored 19 points, and Adama Bal, who scored 23 points. Bal is trending in the right direction, as he’s improved his point production for three games straight.
Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23.9 points), and they went ahead and made it eight on Saturday. They walked away with a 70-65 victory over the Lions.
Saint Mary’s can attribute much of their success to Augustas Marciulionis, who scored 25 points along with seven assists. As a matter of fact, that’s the most points Marciulionis has scored all season. Alex Ducas was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
The Broncos are on a roll lately: they’ve won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-7 record this season. As for the Gaels, their win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-6.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Santa Clara have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 38.4 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Saint Mary’s struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 40.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Santa Clara is hoping to beat the odds on Wednesday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. They might be worth a quick bet since they’ve covered the spread the last three times they’ve played.
Odds
Saint Mary’s is a big 14-point favorite against Santa Clara, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Gaels, as the game opened with the Gaels as a 12.5-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 136 points.
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Series History
Saint Mary’s has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Santa Clara.
- Jan 13, 2024 – Saint Mary’s 73 vs. Santa Clara 49
- Jan 21, 2023 – Saint Mary’s 77 vs. Santa Clara 58
- Dec 31, 2022 – Saint Mary’s 67 vs. Santa Clara 64
- Mar 07, 2022 – Saint Mary’s 75 vs. Santa Clara 72
- Feb 08, 2022 – Santa Clara 77 vs. Saint Mary’s 72
- Jan 20, 2022 – Saint Mary’s 73 vs. Santa Clara 65
- Jan 09, 2021 – Santa Clara 66 vs. Saint Mary’s 64
- Feb 27, 2020 – Saint Mary’s 78 vs. Santa Clara 72
- Jan 11, 2020 – Santa Clara 67 vs. Saint Mary’s 66
- Feb 14, 2019 – Saint Mary’s 66 vs. Santa Clara 55
