Saint Mary’s Defeats Pepperdine to Reach WCC Championship Game

The top-seeded Gaels secured a dominant 74-59 victory, advancing to their fourth consecutive WCC final.

Saint Mary’s, ranked No. 19, overpowered ninth-seeded Pepperdine with a 74-59 win in the West Coast Conference semifinals in Las Vegas.
Augustas Marciulionis and Paulius Murauskas led the Gaels with 15 points each, while Luke Barrett added 13 points and 8 rebounds.
The Gaels dominated the paint with a 46-26 scoring advantage and controlled the boards with a 45-22 rebounding edge.
Pepperdine’s Moe Odum, who had excelled throughout the tournament, scored 19 points but was unable to maintain his early momentum.
Saint Mary’s will face either Gonzaga or San Francisco in the WCC championship, seeking their second consecutive tournament title.