SMC Gaels Wrap Up Non-Conference Slate, Host Morgan State

MORAGA, California  -- The Saint Mary's men's basketball team draws the curtain on its 2014-15 non-conference schedule this week as the Gaels take a brief break from West Coast Conference play to host Morgan State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT at McKeon Pavilion.

Live streaming video, statistics and an audio-only broadcast of the game will be available through SMCGaels.com with Alex Jensen describing the action. Tickets for the game can be purchased by clicking the Tickets link at SMCGaels.com or by calling the SMC Athletic Ticket Office at (925) 631-GoTx.

The Gaels return to their home court on the heels of a successful trip to Southern California. Wins over Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount pushed Saint Mary's to 11-3 overall and, combined with earlier home wins over Santa Clara and San Francisco, the Gaels are now a perfect 4-0 in conference play.

With four conference games under its belt, Saint Mary's has established a definite identity at both ends of the court. The Gaels have outrebounded their 14 opponents by an average of 9.9 rebounds per game, a figure that ranks Saint Mary's first in the WCC. When they're not rebounding the ball, the Gaels are sharing it to the tune of 16.3 assists per game. That mark is good for third in the conference.



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Opposing defenses have concentrated their efforts on All-WCC preseason pick Brad Waldow all season but it hasn't seemed to faze the Gaels' big man. He enters the week averaging 20.4 points (third in the WCC) and 10.4 rebounds (first) and he's led the team in scoring in 10 of 14 games. Waldow is also second in the conference with a .567 shooting percentage but the leader in the category, Gonzaga's Domantas Sabonis, has taken only 77 shots to Waldow's 201.

With teams focusing on Waldow, the Gaels have also gotten steady contributions from other players throughout a strong start to the season. Aaron Bright enjoyed the trip to Southern California, scoring a team-high 15 points against Pepperdine and a game-high 24 at LMU. Kerry Carter and Garrett Jackson also scored in double figures in both games for the Gaels.

Jackson's emergence has been a huge storyline to begin the conference season. Beginning with a career-high 18 points against Santa Clara, the senior from Portland, Ore. has responded impressively to an increased workload. He enters the Morgan State game having scored double digits in his past four games, a stretch that earned him a spot in the starting lineup Saturday against Loyola Marymount.

Morgan State comes to Moraga for the second time in program history and the Bears bring with them a familiar face to East Bay basketball fans. Former Cal head coach Todd Bozeman is in his ninth season at Morgan State, and his squad carries a 2-13 record into Tuesday's contest.

Despite the lopsided record, the Bears are more than capable of a good performance. Their last win came on Dec. 16 but it was a 63-62 victory over a UC Irvine squad that took Saint Mary's to the wire earlier this year. Since that victory, Morgan State has dropped five straight. Forward Cedric Blossom leads the Bears in scoring at 13.9 points per game and guard Blake Bozeman, son of the head coach, averages 12.6.

Saint Mary's returns to WCC play on Saturday when it travels to Stockton for an 8 p.m. game against Pacific. The Gaels welcome San Diego and BYU to McKeon Pavilion next week for a pair of 8 p.m. games before heading to the Pacific Northwest for games against Gonzaga and Portland.

COURTESY SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA ATHLETICS