March Madness in Spokane: Gonzaga rival St. Mary’s looking for love in the Lilac City? Good luck, Gaels

The Saint Mary’s Gaels are in town searching for a little bit of support from Spokane. They will be lucky to find any.

They’re also looking to win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament this weekend at the Arena.

Gonzaga fans could help the cause, Saint Mary’s fan Megan Manley theorized Thursday afternoon.

“I’m just hoping they will cheer us on in the same way we are rooting for them,” Manley said while her beloved Gaels practiced for Friday’s first-round game against Grand Canyon.

“It’s a rivalry for sure, a mutual distaste, but in the most appreciative way,” Manley said.

It promises to be a surreal scene Friday night as a clutch of Saint Mary’s fans will be outnumbered by fans in Gonzaga blue – the ones who bought tickets last fall in the hopes that their beloved Zags would be here instead.

That the Zags are in Salt Lake City is largely because of Saint Mary’s, which beat the Bulldogs two weeks ago in the West Coast Conference Tournament title game.

While Gonzaga got shipped off to Utah, the Gaels are hoping to make it to the Sweet 16.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Manley said of the weekend ahead.

Others weren’t so sure.

A few seats away, Saint Mary’s alums Veronica Nimm and Julia Raciopio said they were prepared for anything.

“I’m a little worried,” Nimm said before pointing out that Gonzaga coach Mark Few had urged fans to back the Gaels. When the Gaels visited Spokane in February and beat the Zags, a few student fans threw items onto the court, prompting Few to intervene.

And if Gonzaga were playing an NCAA game in the Bay Area?

Raciopio paused.

“Ooh, I don’t know if I could cheer for them,” she said.

Down on the court, Saint Mary’s band members were setting up when the question was posed to Anthony Clument, a sophomore bass player.

“I think we might hear some boos a little bit, but I like to play the villain,” Clument said.

Meanwhile, the Saint Mary’s players were hoping for the best but couldn’t resist a twist of the knife.

“We’ve got a lot of good memories here, so we just want to make some more,” forward Mitchell Saxen said of the Gaels’ two-point win in the Kennel on Feb. 3.

Teammate Aidan Mahaney referenced comments from GU players who earlier were hoping that Spokane fans will show up Friday wearing the purple of Grand Canyon.

“We love it, that’s all good,” Mahaney said. “We’re excited to go. We like playing on the road, so bring ’em on.”

That’s been the mindset all year for the Gaels, who are undefeated on the road this year.

Still, a little support wouldn’t hurt.

“I honestly think the WCC has a lot of good fan bases and we will support each other,” Saxen said.

“I know a lot of (GU fans) aren’t juiced that we are here, but at the end of the day, you want to support your conference.”

So how about it, Spokane?

High in the bleachers, Gonzaga fan Madeline Stewart and her husband, Mark, held out an olive branch.

“Yeah, we’re rivals and competitors,” Madeline said. “But it would be good to see them go as far as they can go.”