NCAA tournament, first round: No. 10 St. Mary’s topples Richmond, 80-71

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Omar Samhan had 29 points and 12 rebounds despite spending most of the game in foul trouble, and Saint Mary’s pulled away from Richmond to win 80-71 today in the first round of the NCAA tournament’s South Regional at Providence, R.I.

It was the first NCAA win for St. Mary’s in six tries since 1959. The 10th-seeded Gaels (27-5) will play Saturday against Villanova, a No. 2-seeded team that escaped from the first round with a 73-70 overtime victory over Robert Morris.

Mickey McConnell, the West Coast Conference tournament MVP when the Gaels upset Gonzaga in the title game, went five for nine from three-point range and scored 23 points.

David Gonzalvez scored 18 and Kevin Anderson had 16 for Richmond (26-9). The Spiders have won NCAA tournament games as Nos. 12, 13, 14 and 15 seeds but, playing as a favorite for the first time in school history, failed to make it out of the first round.

-- Associated Press