SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Daniel Kickert scored a career-high 32 points and Paul Marigney added 23 as St. Mary's outlasted San Diego 86-83 Saturday.
The victory was the fourth in a row for the Gaels (24-7, 11-3), who finished the regular season one game behind first-place Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference.
San Diego's Brandon Gay had two chances to tie the game with 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds, but the first try bounced off the rim and the second fell short.
San Diego (15-12, 7-7), which trailed 40-39 at the half, took its only lead at 46-44 on a basket by Corey Belser, who led the Gaels with 17 points and eight rebounds.
But Kickert, a junior from Australia, drained a 3-pointer then Marigney scored nine of his team's next 11 points as St. Mary's took a 60-53 lead.
Kickert went 10-for-15 from the floor, including 6-for-8 from 3-point range. He was also 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and added nine rebounds and two blocks.
Kickert, who scored 19 points in the first half, scored 11 straight points for the Gaels during a five-minute stretch in which they stretched a two-point lead to nine at 37-28 with three minutes left in the first half.
Marigney, who scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half, hit two clutch free-throws with 28 seconds left after San Diego had pulled to within four points at 82-78.
