This contest was supposed to be the WCC Game Of The Year So Far, but by the fourth quarter it was just a fun opportunity for the Gonzaga rowdies to bust out smarty-pants taunts on the beaten Gaels.
Saint Mary's looked solid until superstar guard Patty Mills took a nasty spill and left the game three minutes before halftime, leaving the Gaels unable to keep up without him.
The Zags cruised easily from there to a 69-62 win and will take sole possession of first place in the conference. The Gaels longest-in-the-nation 15-game win streak vanishes, and likely with it their #22 AP national ranking.
Now comes this unpleasantness -- ESPN is reporting that Mills hand is broken and he'll miss four weeks. That time line leaves him out for these teams' Feb. 12 regular season rematch.
Hell, that time line leaves him out pretty much the whole rest of the regular season and back for only one lousy game before the WCC Championship.
Can St. Mary's remain a legitimate contender for the NCAA Tournament?
Omar Samham's hair is certain to earn the Gaels some degree of national attention no matter what, and viewers always love any team where one guy has crazy hair. But Mills absence is 18.7 points a night that they won't get. St. Mary's March Madness hopes aren't sprained, they're broken.
