Saint Mary's seniors aim for historic Sweet 16 berth

Saint Mary’s senior basketball players Mitchell Saxen, Augustas Marciulionis, and Luke Barrett are gearing up for the NCAA Tournament with high hopes. They are considered the most successful senior class in the school's history and are determined to lead their team to its first Sweet 16 appearance. Saxen expressed how important it is for them to achieve this goal. He noted that during their careers, they have worked hard to elevate the program's status. While they are proud to make tournament appearances for four straight years, they want to win games this time. The Gaels, coached by Randy Bennett, have seen success but have only advanced beyond the Round of 32 once. The trio has played a key role in setting records for the program, including consecutive West Coast Conference (WCC) titles. The current landscape of college basketball makes it rare for players to stay together. Despite other players leaving for bigger programs, these three have chosen to stay and focus on their legacy at Saint Mary's. Their commitment reflects their pride in being part of the program. The Gaels will face Vanderbilt in the opening round of the tournament. They aim to move past the first weekend, having been disappointed by an upset loss last year. After a tough loss to Gonzaga in the WCC championship, the team is focused and ready to put in the work. After the disappointing loss, the senior trio took charge in the locker room to motivate their teammates. They emphasized the importance of moving on and preparing for their upcoming game. They believe in their ability to perform well, and the team has had some of their best practices recently.