Key matchup: Saint Mary’s guard Logan Johnson enters Gonzaga game on hot streak

As his senior season winds down, Saint Mary’s guard Logan Johnson has never played better basketball.

In the five games since struggling with his shot and fouls in the Gaels’ 78-70 overtime win against Gonzaga earlier this month, Johnson has recorded four of the five-highest point totals of his 109 career games in a Saint Mary’s uniform.

It started with a career-best 31-point effort in a road loss to Loyola Marymount. Two days later, he scored 34 points against Portland.

There was a clunker in the middle – three points, all on free throws, in a narrow win over San Diego – before responding with 27 points against BYU and 29 in a Senior Night victory over Pacific on Thursday that gave the Gaels at least a share of the West Coast Conference title.

For perspective, Johnson’s career high had been 28 points, set in December against Wyoming. He had only cracked 20 points one other time this season, scoring 24 against San Francisco in mid-January.

The Mountain View, California, native is playing like he wants to extend his season as long as possible.

The 6-foot-2, 177-pound Johnson, who played one year at Cincinnati before transferring the Saint Mary’s, has always been regarded as one of the WCC’s best defenders. His offense has found a different gear of late.

In the past five games, Johnson has made 62.7% from the field and 45% on 3-pointers. His season averages are 46.2% and 29.8%, respectively.

Johnson rarely relies on 3-pointers to score. He’s had eight games this season with zero, one or two 3-point attempts. He does most of his damage inside the arc with dribble penetration and frequent trips to the free-throw line.

Johnson leads the Gaels in assists (3.7), steals (47), minutes (34.4) and free-throw attempts (117). He’s second in scoring behind freshman guard Aidan Mahaney’s 14.8 points and third in rebounding (4.9).

Rasir Bolton drew the starting assignment in the first meeting and a variety of GU defenders combined to limit Johnson to 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the floor. Despite logging heavy minutes nearly every game, Johnson is rarely in foul trouble. The only time he fouled out this season was late in regulation versus Gonzaga.

Bolton and Nolan Hickman should open up against Johnson and Mahaney. Hunter Sallis and Malachi Smith also figure to be called on to defend SMC’s backcourt duo.