Familiar formula: Timely plays, rebounding edge help Saint Mary’s defeat Gonzaga 74-67 in rematch

It wasn’t an exact replay of the first Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s game, but there were so many similarities in Saturday’s rematch.

Another slow start by the Zags, who were down 11 points before they scored. Another dominating effort on the boards by the Gaels. Another big night from SMC freshman guard Mikey Lewis behind the 3-point line. Another tight game in crunch time where Gonzaga was outplayed.

And another Saint Mary’s win, this one 74-67 in front of a full house on GU’s Senior Night at the McCarthey Athletic Center. It sealed the Gaels’ second consecutive outright West Coast Conference championship, a program first. It’s also the first time a team other than Gonzaga has won two consecutive solo titles since Pepperdine’s three-year run from 1991-93.

“Yeah, a little bit, for sure,” said Gonzaga senior point guard Ryan Nembhard, asked if Saturday reminded him of Saint Mary’s 62-58 home win over the Zags three weeks ago.

Saint Mary’s (25-4, 15-1 WCC) became the first team since the 2016 Gaels to sweep the regular-season series from Gonzaga. The Zags (21-8, 12-4) dropped into tie for second with San Francisco. The teams clash Saturday at the Chase Center to close the regular season. Gonzaga on Tuesday visits Santa Clara, which is one game behind the Zags and Dons.

Gonzaga has four conference losses for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

“It’s never happened for us (clinching the title in the Kennel),” Gaels coach Randy Bennett said while wearing a WCC champions cap. “Anytime you can win the championship, it’s great. The fact that it happened here was just how it worked out. We have so respect for these guys’ program.

“I was just looking at the stat sheet. Other than rebounding, you wouldn’t know who won that game. Plus 12 on the boards, I think that was key for us.”

That certainly was a factor with the Gaels winning the offensive glass 15-7, leading to 21-14 edge in second-chance points. The game was tied at 46 when Mitchell Saxen grabbed one of his four offensive rebounds and converted a three-point play to give the Gaels the lead for good.

The biggest turning point came after Gonzaga pulled within 58-57 on Graham Ike’s two free throws with 6:14 left. Lewis, who had four 3-pointers and 16 points in the first meeting in Moraga, California, got loose on the wing for a 3-pointer while being fouled by Ike.

Lewis hit the free throw and Luke Barrett, a thorn in GU’s side with 14 points and eight rebounds, connected on another 3-pointer. In less than 60 seconds, the Gaels’ lead went from one to eight.

“We were right there, one-possession game for long stretches of the second half,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “We had a total critical situation where we gave up an and-one 3 where we missed an assignment in what we were doing in our zone, and we didn’t get back in transition and didn’t guard Barrett.

“That was seven points, boom boom. Changed the game right there.”

Gonzaga never got closer than six the rest of the way. The Zags only committed seven turnovers, but four of their five in the second half came in the final 3 minutes and 37 seconds.

“Obviously, I’m upset, any game we lose I’d be mad,” said GU senior guard Nolan Hickman, who had 14 points and hit two of the team’s four 3-pointers. “It’s how the game goes.”

Ike scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half. Nembhard added 11 points and eight assists, leaving him four assists behind former Saint Mary’s guard Emmett Naar’s WCC single-season record of 284.

Lewis led the Gaels with 18 points in just less than 18 minutes of playing time. Saxen added with 16 points and nine rebounds.

The Zags climbed out of the early 11-point deficit but never led. Gonzaga traditionally starts as many seniors as possible on Senior Night, but it had a surplus with seven potential candidates against the Gaels. Nembhard, Hickman, Few’s son Joe, Ajayi and Ben Gregg were in the first unit with Khalif Battle and Ike subbing in after 2 minutes and 11 seconds.

“The seniors just voted on that,” coach Few said. “That didn’t have anything to do with the game. Like I said, we fought back into it, much like at their place. It just came down to making plays down the stretch. They obviously did a much better job. That seven-point swing was tough to overcome.”

The seniors and their family members were honored prior to tipoff. Seniors typically address the crowd after the game but decided not to after the loss. Few said it wasn’t brought up afterward, adding, “They’re in their (locker room), they’re heartbroken. I don’t think they really wanted to talk to the crowd.”

Ike, who didn’t go through the pregame senior ceremony, and Ajayi, who did go through the festivities, both have another season of eligibility if they opt to return to college.