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December 12th, 2009
05:43 pm - St. Mary's College 83, Boise State 72
Since John Stockton's college days, the West Coast Conference has hardly existed outside of Gonzaga, but St. Mary's College has been rising in the WCC with the help of its pipeline of outstanding Australian players.
Last season, the St. Mary's men won a school record 28 games behind shooting guard Patrick Mills, Australia's youngest Olympics team member ever. The Gaels reached the quarterfinals of the postseason NIT, downing Davidson and Stephen Curry in the second round.
There were five Aussies among the 2008-9 St. Mary's men. For the 2009-10 team, St. Mary's added three Australian freshmen — their 6-1 record is ahead of 7-2 Gonzaga by percentage points.
The St. Mary's women are off to a 6-4 start following their 83-72 win Saturday over Boise State.
St. Mary's lost in November to Cal — ranked #63 at collegerpi.com — and to #9 Nebraska, but bounced back in December to beat #69 Washington St. on the road and then #77 Boise St. Before Saturday's win, the Gaels were #99 at CollegeRPI, while Gonzaga led the WCC at #83. (#73 St. Mary's moved ahead of #80 Gonzaga in Sunday's CollegeRPI rankings.)
The Gaels were led by 20 points Saturday from WCC player of the week Jontelle Smith, plus 17 points, 15 blocked shots, and nine rebounds from Louella Tomlinson of Melbourne, Australia. SMC led 36-35 at half, and 46-45 with 16:22 remaining, but their defense triggered a 6-0 run — a block and a defensive rebound by Tomlinson before a layup by Alex Carbonel, then a steal plus a layup by Ja. Smith.
Boise State got back to within four, 54-50, with 12:46 to go, but Tomlinson snuffed the Bronco push with two blocked shots in two possessions, and the Gaels pulled away. "It was a good 'résumé win'," said SMC coach Paul Thomas. "We stuck to the game plan, stayed the course, and took another step in our maturity level."
Tomlinson, the WCC player of the month, was one rebound shy of making her third triple — points, rebounds, blocked shots — of the season. "When I started here in August 2006, I was told 'Here's your ticket to Australia'," Thomas said, "and I knew I wanted [Tomlinson] here the second I saw her."
The best players in Australia attend the Australian Institute of Sport, from which the St. Mary's men recruited eight players, and the women signed Tomlinson and freshman guard Kate Gaze, whose 24 assists are second on the team. Gaze's grandfather Lindsay is in the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame. Her uncle Andrew played for Washington and San Antonio in the NBA — he holds the scoring record in Olympics basketball.
"There's a good relationship between the AIS and St. Mary's College, and word spreads in the basketball community," said Gaze. "I never thought I'd come to college, but Coach Thomas called, our best boys are here, and Lou had nothing but good things to say."
"I wouldn't have come if there weren't such an Australian presence here," said Gaze, adding that her whole family approved of the idea. "It's been the best decision of my life. It feels like we are all best friends here — friends, teammates, sisters."
"I tried to convince her," Tomlinson said. "I knew it would be a good experience for her."
The Smith sisters — Jontelle and Jasmine — combined for 38 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and five steals Saturday. Jasmine sat out a year after transferring from Oregon State. "She's still getting into that game flow. Her quickness is not yet 100 percent," said Thomas, "but when you have someone like Jazzy — who can create on the floor — it sets the tone."
St. Mary's led Boise State 16-8 in fast break points. "When we get [Ja. Smith] running like that, she is unstoppable," Tomlinson said. Tomlinson, whose 16.6 points per game average leads the WCC, credits the Smiths with creating space for her inside. "When they have to defend out there, there's more room for me."
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