The St. Mary's men's basketball team will face reigning champion Villanova in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday.
St. Mary's to Play Reigning Champs Villanova in NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Jordan Ford (3) of the Saint Mary's Gaels goes under the basket for a reverse layup over Brandon Clarke (15) of the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half of their NCAA college basketball game at McKeon Pavilion on March 2, 2019, in Moraga, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Gaels were headed for its worst record since 2004 when it beat the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs in the West Coast Conference championship game on Tuesday, earning an automatic bid to NCAA tournament.
The team's reward for that epic upset is a date with Villanova, which has won two of the last three NCAA titles. The teams will meet Thursday in Hartford, Conn.
St. Mary's failed to make the tournament last year, despite finishing the regular season with an impressive 30-6 record. Their last tournament appearance was in 2017, when they beat Virginia Commonwealth University in the first round before falling to Arizona in the second round.
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This will be the team's seventh tournament appearance under head coach Randy Bennett, who took over in 2001. They've won at least one game in their last four trips to the Big Dance.