Gaels Coach Randy Bennett knows plenty about West Coast Conference basketball.

The first-year head man and former Waves assistant had to resort to any-means-necessary approach to playing Pepperdine. The Gaels' determined, slow-down style is designed to minimize the number of opponent possessions, and frustrate them into mistakes, giving St. Mary's a chance to get a few lucky breaks and steal one at the end. The formula worked to perfection in the Gaels' first round overtime upset of Santa Clara .

The Gaels found themselves down by scores of 9-1 and 20-5, but seemed undaunted in cutting the lead to 30-20 by halftime. Though the lead was in double figures for most of the game, the Waves managed nothing resembling the high-flying style that has helped them win 17 of 18.

Jimmy Miggins led the typically balanced attack with 12 points. Gary Colbert and Will Kimble added eleven apiece.

The Gaels weren't the only ones playing tough, stifling defense. Pepperdine held St. Mary's to 23% shooting for the game and set a single-game school record with 14 blocked shots.

Eight of those blocks were recorded by Cedric Suitt. The senior center celebrated his 23rd birthday with the second-highest blocked-shot total of his career, to go with seven rebounds. Ironically, he set a personal high in this very building a month earlier in the Waves' victory over the Toreros.

On Suitt's birthday, his successor, Will Kimble, was the one who came of age. The sophomore center, who figures to start at the position next season, recorded eleven points, five rebounds, and three blocks. He may not have Suitt's propensity for rejections, but he has refined his offensive skills and overcome the fouling problems of his early career to show terrific promise for the future.

The victory was marred (or, depending on how you look at it, made more interesting) by some rough, physical play. Boomer Brazzle and Anthony Woodards were called for a double-technical foul, and a few minutes later, Ross Benson knocked Colbert to the floor for another technical. Colbert jumped up and shoved Benson, and the teams nearly came to blows. Colbert was ejected for the incident.

Not only was the game ugly, it was an emotional letdown after the highly charged first game of the evening between Gonzaga and San Diego. In the Toreros' sold out home arena, the Bulldogs arguably had more fans in attendance. After the Toreros raced to a 47-40 halftime lead, the Bulldogs took command and escaped with an 87-79 win. Two-thirds of the building emptied before and during the Waves' anticlimactic win over St. Mary's.

The conference will therefore get the matchup it so desperately wanted, pitting regular season co-champions Pepperdine and Gonzaga in the nationally televised final Monday night.