For two weeks, West Coast Conference basketball fans have wondered: Will injured Gonzaga star Graham Ike be ready to play Saturday night when Saint Mary’s visits the nation’s sixth-ranked team? “Do…
Saint Mary’s Paulius Murauskas takes a shot against Santa Clara’s Jake Ensminger in the second half at Leavey Center in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. For two weeks, West Coast Conference basketball fans have wondered: Will injured Gonzaga star Graham Ike be ready to play Saturday night “Do they have Ike or not? I don’t know,” Gaels coach Randy Bennett pondered on Thursday after practice.
“We’re prepared for either team.” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said he expects the two-time All-WCC forward to play after missing the past three games with an ankle injury. Still out is Ike’s frontcourt mate Braden Huff, likely sidelined another month with a knee issue.Saint Mary's Paulius Murauskas reacts after scoring a three-point basket against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first half of their game at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. “I think I took a step from last season,” said the junior forward from Lithuania, who leads the WCC with a 19.3 scoring average and provides 7.5 rebounds. “I took a step as a player and as a leader.” It all sets up the latest duel in the best rivalry on the West Coast, but their final matchup in Spokane as conference opponents, with the Zags departing next season for the rebuilt Pac-12. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Gaels and Zags have split six games over the past two seasons and they’re scheduled to square off in the regular-season finale at Moraga on Feb. 28. Santa Clara sits between them in second place, creating a logjam at the top. Young players have emerged for Saint Mary’s, but the key player has been Murauskas, the lone returning starter from last season.two weeks ago. “He came into this game averaging 20 a game. That’s really hard to do, especially when you’re at the top of the scouting report night after night.” The two big changes in Murauskas’ game have been a vastly improved ability to draw fouls and greater consistency. Murauskas leads the WCC in free throws and free throws attempted , more than doubling his per-game attempts and improving his accuracy from 74 percent to 84 percent. “The thing that’s different this year is Murauskas is really, really aggressive,” Few said. “He’s become a really, really good player.” He been that almost every night, having scored fewer than 12 points in a game just once. “Last year I had games where I had like 25, 30 and then zero or two,” Murauskas said. “That bothered me and I wanted that to change.” He was motivated after averaging just 6.8 points and shooting 28 percent over the Gaels’ final five games. That included a“I was kind of sad because I had a great year and I finished the season bad. That was like a kick in the butt,” said Murauskas, who worked all offseason, spending time in Moraga, back home in Lithuania and in Los Angeles, where he practiced with players who’d been chosen in the NBA draft. Bennett said, “I think the biggest difference for him is leadership. He’s grown up. He gets it. He’s more professional. I didn’t know he could be what he is this year.”The Bay Area hasn’t sent three men’s teams to the NCAA tournament since 1997, when Cal and Stanford both advanced to the Sweet 16 and Saint Mary’s also landed a bid. The year before, Cal, Stanford, Santa Clara, and San Jose State all made it. It will take some doing to get multiple entries this season. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently has just one local team in the field: Saint Mary’s, as a No. 9 seed with its sturdy No. 30 NET rankings.Trump Admin finds that SJSU violated Title IX over transgender volleyball playerBut Santa Clara is knocking at the door as one of the first four out in his projected field, and both Cal and Stanford are among his next four out. The NCAAs have been a long time coming for all three: Santa Clara made it most recently in 1996, Cal in 2016, and Stanford in 2014.The Bears could give themselves a boost Saturday with a win at Miami , which boasts a No 36 NET ranking. Stanford visits Florida State , a winner over Cal on Wednesday.Charlie Creme, who projects the NCAA women’s field for ESPN, has Stanford among nine ACC teams in the field. But Cal and Santa Clara aren’t even mentioned in his first or next four out. Stanford Cardinal head coach Kate Paye talks to Stanford Cardinal's Mary Ashley Stevenson during their game against the Louisville Cardinals in the fourth quarter at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. The Bears are No. 54 in the NET and can elevate that ranking with a home victory Sunday over seventh-ranked Louisville , the ACC co-leader. The Broncos, under first-year coach Loree Payne, have matched their best start since 2000-01, but with a No. 61 NET ranking, likely will need to win the WCC tournament to earn their first NCAA bid since 2005.Japanese second-hand retailer opens in busy San Jose shopping centerMiss Manners: My new co-workers are invading my privacyAsking Eric: I'm frustrated that he hasn't made the girlfriend request Palo Alto group buys 2,284 acres at Sargent Ranch, ending 10-year battle over proposed quarry on scenic propertyHarriette Cole: I wish I was wrong, but it's obvious what my friend is doingDear Abby: I find showering unpleasant, so I don't do it. How do I know if this is problem?
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Saint Laurent Men’s Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear CollectionSaint Laurent Men's Fall 2026 ready-to-wear runway, fashion show & collection photos. Designed by Anthony Vaccarello and presented at Paris Couture Week, January 2026.
Read more »
More than 200 Saint Edward Central High School students, staff participated in Wave of Service DayA total of 215 students and staff took part in the Wave of Service at nine different organizations in Elgin on Wednesday.
Read more »
Saint Laurent Men’s: Fashion Review Cathy HorynAt a show that included the ‘Heated Rivalry’ actors in the front row, Anthony Vaccarello presented a new silhouette.
Read more »
3 keys for Gonzaga to win rivalry showdown vs. Saint Mary’sMark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs survived three straight games without their two leading scorers, Braden Huff and Graham Ike, relying heavily on a small-ball l
Read more »
What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said ahead of rivalry matchup vs. Saint Mary’sAfter the kind of 10-day stretch Gonzaga just experienced, having the last week off before hosting Saint Mary's in a pivotal West Coast Conference battle probab
Read more »
What Gonzaga players said ahead of pivotal matchup with Saint Mary’sFor as grizzled as Gonzaga's roster is, there are a handful of Bulldogs who've never had to deal with the bumps and bruises that follow the day after a matchup
Read more »