MORAGA, Calif. — Since BYU joined the West Coast Conference in 2012, no road game in the league has been more difficult for the Cougars than Saint Mary’s.
BYU has enjoyed more success at national powerhouse Gonzaga (with a record of 3-5) than in Moraga (1-7).
The Cougars will put their current six-game winning streak — and five-game losing streak at Saint Mary’s — on the line Thursday (9 p.m., MST, ESPN2) when the two programs collide at University Credit Union Pavilion, formerly known as McKeon Pavilion, in BYU’s first WCC road game of the season.
No current member of the Cougars’ roster has won a game in Moraga.
“The first thing when you go into that gym, you have to be tough. Every single time I’ve had interaction with this Saint Mary’s program, they are so physical and so tough.” — BYU basketball coach Mark Pope
“We put it as a goal,” said senior Zac Seljaas. “We don’t want to keep that (losing streak) going. We want to go out there and end that streak and we want to be able to win at Saint Mary’s.”
While BYU is No. 31 in the NET rankings, Saint Mary’s checks in at No. 39, and both are being projected as NCAA Tournament teams. No doubt, this is a big WCC showdown.
The Gaels (14-3, 1-1) are coming off a 107-99 four-overtime loss at Pacific last Saturday. But that’s nothing new for Saint Mary’s. A year ago, the Gaels opened the WCC schedule with a close loss at San Francisco. Two nights later, Saint Mary’s throttled the Cougars by 22 points at home.
“It’s going to make them play harder. They’re going to be really angry, I’m sure,” BYU coach Mark Pope said of the Gaels’ loss to Pacific. “They’ve had to sit on that for four days. I’m sure their last four days of practice have just been fistfights.
“What makes Saint Mary’s special is that their practices are that way anyway, right? But now you have them doubling down on that. That program does not become what it is because they don’t know how to respond to setbacks. They know how to do it in a resounding way. I don’t think they’ll be tired or sad and I don’t think they’ll lose any confidence. I think they’re going to be angry, which makes it fun. That’s what you want.”
Pope was an assistant coach at BYU when it last won in Moraga, back in 2014.
As the Cougars (12-4, 1-0) will tell you, there’s just something about playing at Saint Mary’s and its 3,500-seat facility. Based on its size, it wouldn’t seem like an intimidating place to play. But once the fans show up, it’s a different story.
“It’s a very small gym but it’s extremely loud,” said guard TJ Haws. “They have great fans and they show out every game. It’s small but it doesn’t feel that small when you’re in there.”
“It’s a great place. I love it,” Seljaas said about playing at Saint Mary’s. “Their fans are right there. They’re always heckling you. They’re on top of you. It’s a smaller gym and there’s less people there. But you feel so compact, it’s a fun feel to have those people there. It’s a great environment there with great support. And they’re such a great team. That makes it even more fun to play there.”
Guard Jordan Ford, who averages 21.6 points per game, leads the Gaels.
“He can score at any time and score from anywhere on the floor, get where he wants on the floor,” Haws said of Ford. “It’s a great challenge for us to guard five guys against him. I’m excited to play him.”
Forward Malik Fitts averages 15.8 points and eight rebounds while guards Tanner Krebs and Tommy Kuhse know their roles and perform them well.
BYU forward Yoeli Childs, who is averaging a double-double, injured the index finger of his right hand in practice Tuesday, but Pope said he would be OK.
What is it going to take for BYU to win here?
“The first thing when you go into that gym, you have to be tough. Every single time I’ve had interaction with this Saint Mary’s program, they are so physical and so tough,” Pope said “For me, that’s the No. 1 thing. How much fight do we have? How much toughness do we have? How much composure do we have to continue to do that through little runs here and there?
“Against a Saint Mary’s team, you’d better execute. They’re not going to make mistakes and they’re not going to hurt themselves. You’d better find a way to execute well.”
Pope respects what coach Randy Bennett has done at Saint Mary’s and he acknowledges how difficult it is to earn a victory in Moraga.
“You cannot overstate what Randy Bennett has done there. As a coach, he’s instilled a toughness in that program,” Pope said. “He’s done it with consistency. This team is no different. They have unbelievable toughness and physicality. They’re a veteran group and they’ve won at the highest level and they know how to protect their home court.”
Cougars on the air
BYU (12-4, 1-0) at Saint Mary’s (14-3, 1-1)
Thursday, 9 p.m. MST
University Credit Union Pavilion
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM