Saint Mary’s (10-2) vs. San Diego State (6-3)
Footprint Center, Phoenix; Friday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Saint Mary’s and San Diego State both look to put winning streaks together . Each team earned a home victory in their last game. San Diego State earned a 66-56 win over Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 8, while Saint Mary’s won easily 76-39 over Cal State-Stanislaus on Tuesday.
SAVVY VETERANS: Senior leadership could play a big role in this game’s outcome. Matt Bradley, Trey Pulliam, Nathan Mensah and Adam Seiko have collectively accounted for 58 percent of San Diego State’s scoring this year including 50 percent of the team’s points over its last five games. For Saint Mary’s, Matthias Tass, Dan Fotu, Logan Johnson and Tommy Kuhse have collectively accounted for 62 percent of all Saint Mary’s scoring, including 64 percent of the team’s points over its last five games.MIGHTY MATT: Bradley has connected on 25.8 percent of the 31 3-pointers he’s attempted and has made 5 of 11 over his last three games. He’s also made 76.7 percent of his free throws this season.
UNBEATEN WHEN: The Aztecs are 5-0 when they block at least five opposing shots and 1-3 when they fall shy of that mark. The Gaels are 10-0 when they make five or more 3-pointers and 0-2 when the team hits fewer than five from long range.
FLOOR SPACING: Saint Mary’s’s Alex Ducas has attempted 73 3-pointers and connected on 32.9 percent of them, and is 6 for 17 over the past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: The Saint Mary’s defense has allowed only 57.6 points per game to opponents, which is the 15th-lowest figure in the country. The San Diego State offense has averaged just 63.4 points through nine games (ranked 253rd among Division I teams).
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