By Jacob Froman
Walking into the gym of the Saint Mary’s boys’ basketball team, there was no doubt in my mind that this game wouldn’t be electric. On February 25, 2026, I drove up to St. Mary’s College with my girlfriend, Lili Metanovic, her dad, and his friend. It was a big game versus Santa Clara; the winner would be in position to capture the WCC title.
Fans flooded into the gym as game time approached. We had good seats that were close to court level and by the student section. When we walked in, the stands were packed. The gym felt like a high school gym in size. I personally liked the smaller gym size; it could get loud in there, and oh boy, it did. As soon as the game started, the student section was screaming. Everyone was standing up, chanting, cheering, and talking trash to the Santa Clara players. This was the environment to be in.
Going into halftime, the Gaels were up by six points; the game seemed headed for a wire-to-wire finish. But once the second half started, St. Mary’s came out on fire and never looked back. Each basket and stop only made the crowd go crazier. Star sophomore guard Mikey Lewis exploded for an impressive 21 points. But the best moment in the game came when big man Harry Wessels got a steal and went on the fast break and dunked it! Everyone in the crowd went insane. I couldn’t hear myself talk if I tried, but I didn’t because I was too busy screaming.
The Gaels captured the impressive win by a score of 86-67 and helped improve their seeding for the WCC tournament. Backed by a great overall team performance and a one-of-a-kind fanbase supporting them.
