Ryan Connors |NCAA.com | March 13, 2019 How Saint Mary's clinched an NCAA tournament bid and ended No. 1 Gonzaga's WCC title streak Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett reacts to beating No. 1 Gonzaga Share Saint Mary's clinched a bid to the NCAA tournament on Tuesday night in shocking fashion, upsetting No. 1 Gonzaga 60-47 in the WCC tournament final in Las Vegas. Saint Mary's is in the big dance for the second time in three seasons, as the Gaels made it to the 2017 NCAA tournament after a three-year absence. Here's how it happened. Saint Mary's took advantage of Gonzaga's slow start, then clamped down in the final minutes Gonzaga started out cold, only shooting 40 percent from the field in the first half, and was just 1-for-7 on 3-pointers. Saint Mary's only shot a bit better than that, but it was enough for a 3-point lead at halftime. The Gaels were not messing around as things progressed. They continued to bottle up the Zags, as Brandon Clarke's efficient play was the only successful part of Gonzaga's scoring attack on Tuesday. This kind of game was unheard of against Gonzaga this season. Minutes played in which Gonzaga trailed.- In WCC play entering tonight: 35- Tonight vs. SMC: 26— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) March 13, 2019 This was a one-point game with nine minutes to play. That lead increased to five, then ballooned to 13 as Saint Mary's went on an 18-2 run in the final five minutes. Soak it in, Saint Mary's! 👏pic.twitter.com/UrT7NYgXrt— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 13, 2019 VIRGINIA WINS 2019 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Virginia beats Texas Tech in OT | 3 takeaways from UVA's first title 2019 final bracket | Print bracket | How'd you do? Highlights & features | Shop Final Four gear Full championship history Saint Mary's is going dancing The Gaels weren't in Andy Katz's field of 68 Tuesday morning. They would have been waiting on pins and needles come Selection Sunday had they not been able to beat the Zags. They didn't leave the decision up to anyone else. MARCH MADNESS: 2019 schedule, dates By winning this game, Saint Mary's guaranteed its spot in the field of 68. Of course it came down to Gonzaga and Saint Mary's The two titans of the West Coast Conference have now played in eight of the last 11 conference championships games. But Gonzaga's dominance isn't exactly a secret. The Bulldogs had won the previous six tournament titles, while Saint Mary's was able to claim championships in 2012 and 2010. AUTO BIDS: We're keeping track of every team that makes the tournament here Gonzaga was dominant in the regular season. The Zags came into the game at 30-2, and held the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll and the NET coming into the championship. Saint Mary's was No. 37 in the NET with a 21-11 record. Two of those losses were to Gonzaga — and both were blowouts. When the teams met on Feb. 9, the Zags went nuclear for a 94-46 win. The Gaels were in a bit better form this time around. The top 25 returning men's basketball players for the 2022-2023 season After the NBA draft withdrawal deadline, Gonzaga has two of the top 25 returning players in the sport, according to Andy Katz. READ MORE College basketball rankings: Drew Timme's return sees Gonzaga rise in Andy Katz's Power 36 Drew Timme's return rockets Gonzaga from from 22nd to second in Andy Katz's college basketball rankings, made after the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline. READ MORE Chet Holmgren: College basketball stats, best moments, quotes at Gonzaga Essential stats, facts and quotes from Chet Holmgren's college basketball career at Gonzaga. READ MORE