MORAGA -- Saint Mary's saw its bubble burst Sunday, when a 27-5 season was determined to be not good enough to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Doomed by a watered down schedule, the West Coast Conference regular season co-champion Gaels will have to settle for a NIT appearance instead of experiencing March Madness.The NIT bracket will be announced later Sunday, although Saint Mary's is guaranteed inclusion based on its regular season conference title.While it marks the ninth straight postseason appearance for coach Randy Bennett, it's the third straight time Saint Mary's is bound for the less prestigious NIT.The last four at-large spots went to Vanderbilt, Wichita State, Michigan and Tulsa, with those teams all meeting in First Four games in Dayton, Ohio.