Gael Force dominates Hoopfest Pod to advance to Super 16

Sometimes Saint Mary’s beats Gonzaga. Sometimes Gonzaga beats Saint Mary’s. Either way, it’s never by 47 points.

Only in The Basketball Tournament.

Gael Force, the Saint Mary’s alumni team, dominated two games in the Hoopfest Pod this weekend, rolling to blowout wins over Air Force Bomb Squad (82-54) and Few Good Men (95-48).

That win over the Gonzaga alumni team put Gael Force into the Super 16, which will take place a month from now in Atlanta.

The game was never close.

Gael Force hit shots and saw little resistance from a short-handed Few Good Men squad. Joe Rahon had no problems getting to the basket while Calvin Hermanson was content bombing, and usually making, threes all night (5-8). Omar Samhan led Gael Force for the second game in a row with 20 points.

A double-digit lead after the first quarter ballooned to over 40 in the second half, as the former Gaels put on a bit of a show:

Just as important as the work Gael Force put in on offense: its stifling defense. Few Good Men struggled to find looks all night and when they did, were rarely successful. Robert Upshaw had 11 points and eight rebounds to lead Few Good Men, whose quest for the $2 million prize fell short once again.

As for the Saint Mary’s alumni, they’ll face the Colorado alumni team in the Super 16 if seeds hold. The 2 seed Team Colorado was a 1 seed last year but fell to Armored Athlete in the Super 16. In order to return this year, they may need to defeat the Broad Street Brawlers for a second year in a row.

Full highlights from the Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s showdown here:

Updated Bracket