Saint Mary's Gaels forward Calvin Hermanson (24) defends a shot by Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard Samir Doughty (2) during the first half of the Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Virginia Commonwealth University Rams the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 16, 2017, at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mike Christy / Arizona Daily Star

Operating somewhat below the radar in the WCC thanks to Gonzaga’s massive shadow, the Gaels quietly put together their best regular-season mark in school history β€” losing only to the Zags (albeit three times) and Texas-Arlington β€” by patiently and efficiently playing in a tempo that is faster than only Virginia out of 351 Division I teams. They average 20.6 seconds per offensive possession, and shoot the second-highest adjusted shooting percentage (incorporating 3-pointers) of 58 percent while outrebounding opponents by an average margin of 9.3. Their 3-point shooting is the 12th highest in the nation at 39.8 percent and they keep opponents to an average of just 29.9 percent from 3-point range while using mostly man-to-man defense. Because of their slow tempo, Saint Mary’s has only two players scoring in double figures but four players are shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range.Β 


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