LAS VEGAS -- Omar Samhan had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Mickey McConnell scored 16 points and Saint Mary's advanced to the West Coast Conference tournament final for the second successive year with a 69-55 victory against Portland on Sunday night.
| Conference tournaments |
|
Automatic bids to NCAA tournament |
Matthew Dellavedova also had 16 points for the second-seeded Gaels (25-5), who will face No. 18 Gonzaga on Monday night at the Orleans Arena. The Zags routed Saint Mary's 83-58 in the final last year.
Jorden Page scored 14 points as the Gaels pulled away with a 27-8 run in the second half.
Ethan Niedermeyer scored 12 points for the third-seeded Pilots (21-10), who made less than 29 percent of their shots. Leading scorer T.J. Campbell managed only seven points on 2-of-12 shooting, and Robin Smeulders was 3 for 12.
