Saint Mary's wins the rebound battle and moves on

Saint Mary’s scores the third upset, although a seven and ten seed are evenly matched, with a dominating rebound display. They outrebounded Richmond 37-16.

Richmond wins with speed and 3-point shooting, but they allowed the tempo to switch to St. Mary’s. The game became slow and drawn out, and St. Mary’s was able to use a zone defense to force Richmond to search for a shot. The result was a team used to scoring on the fast break to try and score in half court game.

St Mary’s also kept up with the 3-point shooting of Richmond. They were 8-18, while Richmond was 10-21. Without an advantage beyond the arc, the game was never in the hands of the Spiders.

The Gaels move on to face Villanova on Saturday in the second round with an 80-71 win over Richmond. It was their first win in the NCAA tournament since 1959.

Richmond and St. Mary's matching styles

The second No. 7/No. 10 match up is another evenly matched contest. Richmond is the faster team that can win with the 3-pointer. St. Mary’s is the team that can slow the pace and win the battle on the boards to get second chance opportunities.

The game has been the best of both styles, with two 3-pointers at the end by St. Mary’s to tie the game. St. Mary’s outrebounded Richmond 16-5, and Richmond was four for eight beyond the arc.

Richmond will need to try and do a better job on the glass. They cannot let St. Mary’s get easy put back opportunities or second chance possessions. They must also hit the 3-pointer and keep the pace fast. They want quick possessions on both sides of the floor.

St. Mary’s has done a nice job on the boards, but they haven’t played at their tempo. They are fortunate to be tied, because Richmond could score at will with a fast pace. They will need to bring the tempo to their style and slow the game. The two 3-pointers were big at the end of the half. They need to keep up with the Spiders beyond the arc. St. Mary’s 36, Richmond 36.