Kroner’s Corner: West Coast Conference Champs Again (and Again, and Again, and Again)

With a game as memorable and significant as Saint Mary’s 70–59 thrashing of then-No. 9 Gonzaga at UCU Pavilion last Saturday night, the number of powerful storylines is seemingly endless. Among them: the final regular-season meeting between the Zags and Gaels as West Coast Conference opponents, SMC extending its school-record home winning streak to 26 games and completing an unbeaten home season in the process, a transcendent performance by sophomore guard Mikey Lewis, and an atmosphere inside the pavilion that could be described at once as stifling, thunderous, and jubilant.

So, in his postgame news conference, when SMC Head Coach Randy Bennett was asked about his emotions regarding the victory, he said, “There are a lot of things tonight. We needed a Quad 1 win” to enhance the Gaels’ NCAA Tournament resume.

Then he caught himself.

“Let me back up: We won the conference championship. That’s the biggest thing. That’s a big deal.”

Indeed, the Gaels earning at least a share of the WCC title for the fourth straight season rates as the No. 1 storyline from February 28. SMC thus bookended co-championships with Gonzaga between outright Gael titles in 2023–24 and 2024–25.

Winning a Title and Earning Respect as No. 21 in the Country

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After the Gaels lost 73–65 to Gonzaga in Spokane on January 31, they were in third place in the WCC and two games behind the Zags. SMC proceeded to go 8–0 in February, capped by home victories over Santa Clara (86–67) on February 25 and Gonzaga to earn the right to cut down the net Saturday evening.

“We never said it out loud, but we knew to get back in this position, we’d have to win out” after the loss in Spokane, Mikey Lewis said.

The Gaels in general and Lewis specifically received well-deserved recognition the Monday after winning the title. SMC was ranked No. 21 in both the AP and USA Today coaches polls, the first time this season the Gaels have been in the Top 25 of either poll. Lewis, meanwhile, was named the WCC Player of the Week, as he had a combined 52 points and 11 assists in the victories over Santa Clara and Gonzaga. And on Tuesday he was named an Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.

Against the Zags, Lewis poured in a game- and career-high 31 points as he went 7-for-13 from beyond the arc. The seven 3-pointers also were a career-high. Lewis thrived in November, but he endured rough stretches in December and January, partially because of a foot problem. In the January losses at Santa Clara and Gonzaga, his combined numbers were 2-for-16 from the floor (2-for-11 from 3-point range), with nine points and two assists.

His outstanding nights against the Broncos and Zags last week provide the strongest evidence that he has overcome his midseason struggles. “It wasn’t easy, but I definitely just kept working,” Lewis said. He scored in double figures in all eight February games.

Lewis credited his teammates—particularly fellow guard and roommate Josh Dent—with helping him persevere through some difficult stretches. “I had Josh by my side the whole time,” Lewis said. “He was there for all my BS when I was asking for the ball even though I was shooting it bad. He kept finding me. So, he made sure I never lost confidence. Shoutout to J-Diz.”  

Said Dent: “Everyone has a stretch in the season where maybe shots don’t fall … but no one worked harder than Mikey.”

“I’ll remember that first crowd pop when Mikey hit that corner three” for the game’s first points, Joshua Dent said. “I felt my ears were about to start bleeding.”

Dent had 14 points himself, including a 4-for-6 night from long range, in the win Saturday. He realized early in the game that the decibel level would range from high to higher to standing two feet from an amp at a rock concert.

“I’ll remember that first crowd pop when Mikey hit that corner three” for the game’s first points, Dent said. “I felt my ears were about to start bleeding.”

ESPN Bracketology guru Joe Lunardi was there at the game. Talking on a podcast a couple days later he surmised, “That was the loudest building I’ve been in in 25 years.”

The Fan Factor, the Threes, and the Rebounds

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Head Coach Randy Bennett and the players said the atmosphere in the pavilion surely played a role in the Gaels’ comeback from a 10-point deficit late in the first half. SMC outscored Gonzaga 41–23 in the second half.

The Zags “kind of wore out,” Bennett said. “The attrition wore on ’em. Our gym’s tough that way.”

When asked about the impact of the Gaels’ 15 offensive rebounds—including eight by Andrew McKeever— Gonzaga guard Adam Miller told his hometown paper, the Spokesman-Review, “It’s super deflating because obviously it was hot. It was really, really hot in there.

“Halfway through the second half, I’m like, I could barely breathe.”

“Mantas was huge,” Mikey Lewis said. “Mantas was big-time.”

Saint Mary’s freshman swingman Mantas Juzenas played a big role in keeping the Gaels within hailing distance in the first half. He hadn't scored in the previous four games, but he drilled four treys in the opening 20 minutes.

“Mantas was huge,” Mikey Lewis said. “Mantas was big-time.”

And there can't be too many players in the history of college basketball who logged 36 minutes in a game, went scoreless, and yet had such a positive impact for his team more than Dillan Shaw, another freshman swingman, did Saturday. Shaw stuffed the stat sheet with 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks.

“There’s a reason I left him out there,” Randy Bennett cracked.

Next Up: The WCC Tournament

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The Zags are moving to the reconstituted Pac-12 next season. They would face the Gaels again in the WCC Tournament final in Las Vegas on March 10 if each team wins its semifinal game the preceding night.

“We look forward to playing [the Zags] anytime,” Dent said. “If you can’t get up for that game, you shouldn’t be playing basketball.”

The Gaels’ likely opponent in the semis on Monday is Santa Clara, which would be looking to bolster its chances for an NCAA Tournament bid. Bennett stressed the Broncos would pose quite a challenge for his team, but he did address the possibility of another matchup with Gonzaga.

“I love that game,” Bennett said. “You just don’t get that many as a coach in college basketball. You know it’s going to be a meaningful game.”

Bennett added that he and Gonzaga head coach Mark Few are friends.

“There’s no animosity there,” Bennett said. “It’s like, that’s Gonzaga. We’re Saint Mary’s. It’s going to be a ballgame. If you can be a part of that … it’s special.”

Of course, SMC’s win Saturday night was special—and Mikey Lewis put together a special performance. When asked what he’ll remember the most years from now about that evening, Lewis mentioned his father, Mike Sr., who’s also known as Big Mike.

“Everybody knows my dad is tough,” Mikey Lewis said. “He's going to say he didn’t, [but] he had a little tear running down his eye. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”

Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly for KPIX-TV and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is in his second season as an analyst alongside Brian Brownfield on SMC Men’s Basketball telecasts on ESPN+. His “Kroner’s Corner” columns were recognized in the 2025 Bay Area Journalism Awards.