St. Mary’s (CA) didn’t need a perfect night — just a clean finish. The Gaels walked into Pacific and left with a 72-61 win on Feb. 15, 2026, flipping a close game into a controlled result with a strong second half.
After trailing 30-28 at halftime, St. Mary’s erupted for 44 points after the break and held Pacific to 31, turning a two-point hole into an 11-point win. The result pushes the Gaels to 23-4, while Pacific drops to 17-11.
How the game turned
The first half played like a possession-by-possession grind. Pacific carried a 30-28 edge into the locker room, giving the home side a real chance to build on its uneven recent form (LWWLL).
Then St. Mary’s changed the math after halftime. The Gaels’ 44-point second half was the separator — not just a scoring spike, but the stretch that forced Pacific to chase from behind for most of the final 20 minutes. Pacific’s 31 points after the break simply couldn’t keep pace.
By the numbers
Halftime
Pacific 30, St. Mary’s (CA) 28
Second half
St. Mary’s (CA) 44, Pacific 31
Final
St. Mary’s (CA) 72, Pacific 61
What it means going forward
For St. Mary’s, this was the profile of a team that travels well: absorb an early deficit, then win the second half decisively. The Gaels’ form (WWWWL) continues to match their record, and this kind of close-to-comfortable finish is exactly how strong teams stack wins late in the season.
For Pacific, the path was clear — win the margins in a tight game and protect the halftime lead. Instead, the Tigers couldn’t match St. Mary’s second-half scoring pace, and the opportunity slipped. At 17-11, Pacific will need a more complete 40-minute output to convert competitive first halves into signature results.