COLLEGE STATION — The stage is set, and the march for its first national title is underway for Texas A&M basketball.
The 10-seed Aggies will play the seven-seed Saint Mary’s Gaels at 6:35 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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Both programs are no strangers to March Madness, with A&M making its fourth consecutive appearance and the Gaels coming in for their fifth.
MORE: Texas A&M basketball draws 10th seed in NCAA Tournament
The two opponents enter the matchup with completely different styles of play. The Aggies rank in the top 10 nationally in offense (87.7 points per game), while Saint Mary’s ranks in the top 10 in scoring defense (64.6 points allowed per game).
A&M has a starting lineup with only one player taller than 6-foot-5, while the Gaels feature three players at least 6-foot-7, including center Andrew McKeever at 7-foot-2.
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Paulius Murauskas (23) of St. Mary’s drives to the basket against Tyler Nickel (5) of Vanderbilt during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Rocket Arena on March 21, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Nick Cammett/Getty Images
Will Texas A&M advance to the Round of 32? Here are three things to know about the Gaels, plus a prediction of Texas A&M vs. Saint Mary’s:
Saint Mary’s stout defensively
Just six teams in the country have been better defensively than the Gaels. Saint Mary’s is seventh in scoring defense, holding opponents to fewer than 70 points 23 times this season. It’s limited the opposing team to fewer than 60 points nine times.
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On the glass, the Gaels rank 13th in the nation, averaging 27.9 defensive rebounds per game. Four players average more than five rebounds a game, led by McKeever’s team-high 9.2 per game.
It’s led to Saint Mary’s being one of the best midmajors in the country, ranking 26th in NET.
Lithuanian big man leading way for Gaels
Saint Mary’s forward Paulius Murauskas presents a matchup challenge for the A&M team, as he’s a top scorer and aggressive on the boards. The 6-foot-8 Lithuanian is averaging a team-high 18.8 points per game while averaging 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
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While the Gaels were one-and-done in their conference tournament, Murauskas was stellar in the 76-71 defeat. He finished with 26 points, shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc while making all six of his free throw attempts.
It was the 15th time he had 20 or more points, including scoring 24 against Vanderbilt in a 96-71 loss in November.
Clash of styles
“Bucky Ball” is well-documented now, with A&M known for its high-energy style of play on both ends of the court. However, that’s not exactly how Saint Mary’s can be described.
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Where the Aggies rank in the top 30 for tempo, the Gaels are in the bottom 60. A&M is second in the country in 3-point attempts (956), while the Gaels are 44th with 669.
Saint Mary’s benefits from its size, ranking third in the country in rebound margin (11). It’s also top 15 in the country for rebounds per game (40.3) and offensive rebound percentage (36.5%).
The Aggies have struggled more on the glass, entering Thursday’s game ranked 63rd nationally in rebounds per game at 37.7 and 227th in rebound margin (zero).
Texas A&M basketball vs Saint Mary’s prediction
Texas A&M, 83-79. A&M’s style of play is exhausting to face and even harder to defend. If the Aggies can find a way to make their 3-pointers and remain strong in their full-court defense, they might be able to throw Saint Mary’s off its rhythm. McMillan has long said his team is built to challenge teams in a tournament setting where the opponent is new and unique, making it harder to figure out his scheme. Here’s his chance to prove it.
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Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.s