Alex Ducas helps lead St Mary’s to conference win and secure a spot in NCAA tournament

Geraldton basketball star Alex Ducas has helped guide St Mary’s Gaels to a West Coast conference championship and secure them a spot in the NCAA Tournament in the US after their 69-60 win over Gonzaga. The fifth-year senior is coming for redemption after his tournament run was cut short last year due to a back injury and will get one last go around in his final year. St Mary’s took on long-time rivals Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference finals on Wednesday, with the winner taking the title and earning a spot in the big tournament. The Gaels had full control of the game despite the scores getting tight at the end, but it was the Geraldton product who helped put the nail in the coffin after being sent to the line on back-to-back possessions, sinking all four shots to put the Gaels up by 11 with only seconds left to play. In the win, Ducas tied the school record for games played at 149 and now that the Gaels are into March Madness, he will have a chance to become the all-time leader in games played for St Mary’s, a school that features Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills in its alumni. While he didn’t have quite the impact in the win over Gonzaga, Ducas’ moment came in the win over Santa Clara the day before. With their season on the line, Ducas stepped up scoring 21 points with seven three-pointers, six of those coming in the first half (tying the school record), along with four assists and four rebounds, giving the team a 79-65 win. Ducas’ performance earned him player of the match, with the win setting up a chance for the Gaels to compete for a conference title. It comes off a big year for the program after they became the outright WCC regular season champions for the first time since 2012. It is also the first time they have been at the top in consecutive years after being equal first last year. Ducas and St Mary’s are now looking ahead when the division one NCAA tournament starts on March 19.