Friday, March 13th, 10:05 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: McKeon Pavilion (3,500) -- Moraga, California. Television: Comcast SportsNet. Home Record: Eastern Washington 9-5, Saint Mary's 12-1. Away Record: Eastern Washington 3-12, Saint Mary's 8-3. Neutral Record: Eastern Washington 0-0, Saint Mary's 5-2. Conference Record: Eastern Washington 6-10, Saint Mary's 10-4. Series Record: Series is tied, 2-2.

GAME NOTES: In a late addition to the schedule, the Saint Mary's Gaels and Eastern Washington Eagles will meet up in a non-conference battle from Moraga. In an attempt to bolster a shot at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the Gaels filled an opening in their schedule with this matchup with EWU. Saint Mary's has had a remarkable campaign to date, posting a 25-6 overall record and making it all the way to the West Coast Conference Tournament championship game against Gonzaga this week. However, the result was a disappointing 83-58 whipping at the hands of the Bulldogs, leaving the Gaels without that all important automatic bid to the Big Dance. The Eagles on the other hand have been long out of consideration for the postseason, failing to participate in the Big Sky Conference Tournament thanks to a less than stellar 12-17 overall record and 6-10 mark in-conference. These two teams have met just four previous times, with each squad winning two affairs.

The Eagles were a bit snake-bitten down the stretch, losing four of their last five games, including the last two in overtime. A lack of offensive firepower this season hindered Eastern Washington's chances of moving up the Big Sky ladder and participating in the postseason. The team as a whole netted just 63.4 ppg and did so on a rather mediocre .418 shooting. The team only really has two reliable outlets at the offensive end, counting on Benny Valentine from the perimeter and Brandon Moore down low. Valentine led the team in scoring at 15.2 ppg, despite shooting a woeful .396 from the floor. Moore is the only other player with a double-digit average, chipping in with 11.1 ppg, while pacing the Eagles on the boards (6.9 rpg).

Having a healthy Patrick Mills back in the lineup could mean all the difference in the world for the Gaels regardless of where their postseason fortunes take them. Mills is a streaky performer who when on, is as good as it gets. He missed time with a broken hand, but has returned to health and the team could really use his nearly 18 points per game (17.8). Saint Mary's has relied heavily on the inside play of Diamon Simpson and Omar Samhan this year and both have delivered with dominant campaigns. Simpson is averaging a double-double on the year at 13.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Samhan is right behind at 13.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per outing. The pair have also combined for a whopping 114 blocks this season.

The Gaels may already be in the NCAA Tournament with their stellar record, but beating up on Eastern Washington certainly won't hurt. Look for Mills to gain back some of his swagger in this one, as Saint Mary's should roll.

Predicted Outcome

Saint Mary's 74, Eastern Washington 59