On a day when six other top-10 men's college basketball teams lost, No. 1 Gonzaga also succumbed to an upset.
Saint Mary's, ranked No. 23 in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, came out on fire to build a big lead and did just enough to stave off the Bulldogs (24-3, 13-1 WCC) in hanging on for a 67-57 upset on Saturday.
Gonzaga, the clear-cut favorite to garner the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday, hadn't lost since early December, ripping off 17 straight wins before Saturday's setback. It was the team's first loss this season in the West Coast Conference, which is vastly improved this year and features four teams in the projected tournament field in USA TODAY Sports' latest bracketology. The 'Zags hadn't lost in WCC play since Feb. 22, 2020, when it lost at Brigham Young.
The Gaels (24-6, 12-3 WCC) got huge plays from their veterans. Tommy Kuhse (14 points) paved the way in the inspired effort to secure the upset.
Gonzaga All-American and national player of the year front-runner Drew Timme played terribly, shooting 2-for-10 from the floor to finish with six points. The 'Zags also uncharacteristically turned the ball over 14 times, which did not pair well with a stale offense on the road (the Bulldogs shot just 36.7% from the field) .
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The top five teams in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll top 25 lost on Saturday, with No. 2 Arizona (loss to Colorado), No. 3 Kentucky (loss to Arkansas), No. 4 Auburn (loss to Tennessee) and No. 5 Kansas (loss to Baylor) also falling. No. 7 Purdue (loss to Michigan State) and No. 9 Texas Tech (loss to TCU) rounded out a whirlwind day of upsets in the sport.
Gonzaga is still well-positioned to garner the top overall seed on Selection Sunday, although unlike last year the 'Zags have lost several times. In 2020-21, the Bulldogs entered the NCAA Tournament with enormous pressure in attempting to go undefeated before falling to Baylor in the national title game.
Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.
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