LAS VEGAS (AP)—Omar Samhan had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Mickey McConnell scored 16 points and Saint Mary’s advanced to the West Coast Conference tournament final for the second straight year with a 69-55 victory over Portland on Sunday night.
Matthew Dellavedova also had 16 points for the second-seeded Gaels (25-5), who will face No. 18 Gonzaga on Monday night at the Orleans Arena. The Zags routed Saint Mary’s 83-58 in last season’s final.
Jorden Page scored 14 points as the Gaels pulled away with a 27-8 run in the second half.
Ethan Niedermeyer scored 12 points for the third-seeded Pilots (21-10), who made less than 29 percent of their shots. Leading scorer T.J. Campbell managed just seven points on 2-for-12 shooting, and Robin Smeulders was 3 for 12.
