Gonzaga holds back BYU revival to gain WCC title
Gonzaga has been the class of the West Coast Seminar, lifting regular-season and tournament trophies for nearly 20 years.
Even for a group such as this, finishing off one more title sweep is a feel-good accomplishment.
Sam Dower Jr. had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Gonzaga held its ground during a second-half rally to defeat BYU 75-64 on Tuesday night for its 13th WCC championship.
"It never ever obtains old. Never obtains old," Gonzaga teacher Mark Few claimed. "It's undoubtedly something we begin discussing it and plan for back in the summer season. For these men to step up and make it take place, not only in the routine season but to gain below and not share, is simply an amazing, incredible achievement.".
Gonzaga (28-6) raced bent on a 21-point lead in the initial one-half, capitalizing on the Cougars' late overtime game the evening before. The moment the Cougars got their legs and started trying the lead, the Bulldogs had a solution, leaving no question concerning the NCAA competition by gaining the seminar's automated bid.
Gary Alarm Jr. had 14 factors and David Stockton gave out 7 assists to send out the Bulldogs to the NCAA event for the 16th straight year.
"We was available in with the state of mind and us regulating being in the tournament," Stockton claimed. "We really did not try to think about that, simply succeeding the following video game.".
BYU (23-11) rallied after a depressing first fifty percent, drawing within 8 with 3 minutes left. The Cougars could not finish off the revival and now have a long five-day delay up until Variety Sunday.
Tyler Haws had 24 points, and Kyle Collinsworth added 13 just before leaving with an appropriate leg injury in the 2nd fifty percent.
"They actually pursued us at the beginning," train Dave Rose claimed. "Yet our men battled. We fought the whole video game, got it to solitary figures, but could not overcome the hump.".
Pay per Head Network is the price per head call center online. Start your free 2 week trial now and experience the best bookmaking software online!
Gonzaga and BYU split 2 meetings during the routine period.
The Zags won the initial one by 15 after attacking 10 of 22 3-pointers in Spokane. The Cougars were too much better securing the boundary in Provo, restricting the Bulldogs to 4-of-18 capturing from 3-point range.
Playing in its 17th straight WCC final, Gonzaga dominated early in the rubber match with a nearly best first fifty percent.
Offensively, the Bulldogs constructed a quick nine-point lead and kept pouring it on behind Dower, that had 14 factors on 7-of-11 shooting in the very first half.
Gonzaga was just as excellent defensively, contesting shots inside and leaving to BYU's shooters on the boundary. The Cougars resisted the Bulldogs' tension, missing 11 of their very first 15 gos on their method to a 9-for-27 half.
Gonzaga led by as much as 21 in the first fifty percent and was up 44-27 at the break.
"From a coaching viewpoint, that's how you desire your individuals this moment of year," Couple of claimed. "It's the greatest phase thus far, and we were in assault method, we were playing excellent protection.".
Dower kept it rolling early in the second half, buying on a hard disk drive with a foul, then throwing down a pair of dunks to put the Bulldogs up 53-33.
BYU endured one more impact when Collinsworth needed to be helped off the court midway through the second one-half, unable to place any type of weight on his best leg after going down under Gonzaga's basket.
Playing without its facilitator and second-leading scorer, the Cougars located a way to scrape their back.
Haws had problem getting tries to fall in the WCC tournament and had a so-so initial fifty percent, racking up 9 points on 2-of-7 capturing. When his shots started to fall in the 2nd half, so did Gonzaga's lead.
Haws hit a 3-pointer in rhythm to cut Gonzaga's lead to 13, and the Cougars kept chipping away at the lead, ascertaining to eight on 2 free throws by Haws with 2:56 left.
That was it for BYU, though, leaving the Cougars to hang around to view whether the option task force thinks their résumé is good enough for an NCAA competition proposal.
"I believe we should find ourselves in that competition," said Haws, which made all 11 of his free throws after attacking all 14 in the semifinals versus San Francisco. "This has been a difficult period, however I feel like our individuals have actually come together and done enough to obtain in.".
