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Moraga, Calif. • Eleven months ago, coach Dave Rose's BYU basketball team had seemingly hit a new low.

The Cougars lost 89-82 at Pacific on Feb. 13, and headed west from Stockton to Moraga knowing they had never won at Saint Mary's.

What's more, the Gaels were retiring the jersey of all-time leading scorer Matthew Dellavedova.

When the Cougars fell behind by 14 points in the first half, then saw star guard Kyle Collinsworth take a hard fall and leave the game, prospects looked bleak. But the Cougars rallied and pulled off the victory, completing a season sweep of the Gaels to send them on a six-game winning streak that led to an NCAA Tournament at-large selection.

The Cougars won 93-80 at Pacific late Thursday night, as Collinsworth recorded his fourth triple-double to tie an NCAA single-season record held by four others, so they are obviously in better frame of mind heading into Saturday's showdown with the red-hot Gaels at McKeon (9 p.m. MST, ESPN2) than last year.

But the West Coast Conference game is huge nevertheless, with both clubs on the bubble for the Big Dance.

"They are really good, and they are even better at home," Rose said of the Gaels, who are undefeated (6-0) in WCC play and have won eight straight. "You take their home court record over the last four years since we've been in the league, it is tough to get out of there with a win."

Last year's win started an NCAA-best seven-game road winning streak for the Cougars (15-5, 5-2 WCC), who have not lost on an opponent's home floor since that setback at Pacific. But they will be short-handed Saturday, because senior forward Nate Austin (hamstring) did not make the trip and senior guard Anson Winder is still nursing a sprained right knee.

Winder, the second-leading scorer with a 14.7 average, did not play Thursday, watching the game from the BYU bench. He's questionable for Saturday.

"There is a chance," Rose said. "I know he wants to play, but [the knee] is not responding [to treatment] like we all thought it would."

Knocking on a wooden table he was leaning against, Rose said there's some concern that Winder's knee could become a serious issue, much like UNLV transfer Jamal Aytes' ankle did last fall. Aytes needed ankle surgery and still hasn't returned to the lineup.

The Cougars will miss Aytes and Austin, because SMC has one of the best post players in the country in senior forward Brad Waldow, a beast inside who averages a team-best 20.4 points and 9.9 rebounds a game.

"Obviously, Waldow inside is really good," said BYU guard Chase Fischer. "We are expecting a boxing match, basically. It is going to be a fight. We are going to have to play hard, because they are a really good team, and well-coached."

The Cougars' young bigs — sophomore Luke Worthington and freshmen Corbin Kaufusi and Isaac Neilson — got in major foul trouble against Pacific, forcing Rose to give freshman Ryan Andrus meaningful minutes for really the first time this season. Andrus delivered five points in seven minutes, and seldom-used senior Josh Sharp made a big rebound basket.

Rose said he could go back through his 30-plus years of coaching and not find a pair of teams that were as cohesive as this one and the one last year.

"I think that says a lot about their ability to help each other out on the road," he said. "And that's really what you are getting. You gotta have a steady performance from your top guys, but they need so much help from so many other guys, and it seems like that is where we are at right now, what we are getting."

Twitter: @drewjay —

BYU's win streak on opposing teams' courts

Date Result

Feb. 15, 2014 BYU 60, Saint Mary's 57

March 1, 2014 BYU 78, San Diego 70

Dec. 2, 2014 BYU 91, Utah State 81

Dec. 13, 2014 BYU 76, Weber State 60

Jan. 1, 2015 BYU 81, Santa Clara 46

Jan. 3, 2015 BYU 99, San Francisco 68

Jan. 15, 2015 BYU 93, Pacific 80 —

BYU vs. Saint Mary's

P At McKeon Pavilion, Moraga, Calif.

Tipoff • 9 p.m. MST

TV • ESPN2

Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM

Records • BYU 15-5, 5-2 WCC; SMC 14-3, 6-0 WCC

Series history • BYU leads 10-6

Last meeting • BYU 60, SMC 57 (Feb. 15, 2014)

About the Gaels • They are coming off a 70-58 win over San Diego and have won eight straight games. … F Brad Waldow leads them in scoring (20.4 ppg.) and rebounding (9.9 rpg.) and is shooting 57.7 percent from the field. … G Kerry Carter is averaging 13.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and is making 43.7 percent of his 3-point attempts.

About the Cougars • They are coming off a 93-80 win over Pacific, their seventh straight true road win dating to last season. … Tyler Haws scored 26 points, including 20 in the second half, and is second in the nation in scoring at 22.3 ppg. … Kyle Collinsworth has tied the NCAA record for triple-doubles in a season with four.