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The 17th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs and the 21st-ranked Saint Mary's Gaels are facing off in the West Coast Conference finals with the winner getting an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The injury report shows these teams are banged up, which will have an effect on the outcome of this game.
Let's take a closer look at the injury report and discuss how this game will wind up.
Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's basketball injuries
Harry Wessels, Saint Mary's
Sophomore center Harry Wessels has been dealing with an arm injury and remains questionable for tonight's West Coast Conference finals. It is not expected that he will play as he has not appeared in a game since Feb. 20 against San Francisco.
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He has appeared in 28 games this season and is averaging 4.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 9.5 minutes per game. He has been doing well with his limited range, as he is shooting 62.8% from the floor and 77.4% from the free-throw line.
Joshua Jefferson, Saint Mary's
Sophomore forward Joshua Jefferson suffered a knee injury on Feb. 10 and will not return for the remainder of the season. Coach Randy Bennett explained that it is not as easy as just replacing his impact on the court.
"Joshua gives us a lot. He's become a really good player, so those are big shoes to fill." h/t SF Chronicle
Jefferson was able to play 25.0 minutes and is averaging 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 26 games. He was able to shoot the ball pretty well as he shot 46.9% from the floor.
Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's prediction
Gonzaga is averaging 85.0 points in their last five games while Saint Mary's is scoring 73.0 points in their previous three games. Gonzaga is shooting the basketball well and should be able to dominate in this game after their solid semifinal game.
They are the healthier team throughout the year right now, so go with the Gonzaga Bulldogs to cover the 3.5-point spread in this matchup.
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