MORAGA -- Saint Mary's College got the last word in college basketball in 2015.
Playing in the final game of the year anywhere in the country, the Gaels beat BYU 85-74 before 3,183 fans at McKeon Pavilion on Thursday night in a West Coast Conference game that ended barely two hours before the New Year.SMC (12-1, 3-0 WCC) is off to its best start since opening 18-1 in 2008-09.The Gaels won their sixth in a row as sophomore forward Calvin Hermanson scored 21 points and fired in five 3-point baskets against the Cougars' zone defense. Saint Mary's entered the game ranked second nationally in 3-point accuracy, but only Hermanson could exploit the Cougars (9-5, 0-1) from the perimeter.