The Gonzaga Bulldogs nearly became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 on Thursday before pulling it together late in a 64-58 victory over the Southern University Jaguars in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Southern University vs. Gonzaga reaction: Bulldogs should benefit from close call
Some doubt is being cast upon Gonzaga after its close call against Southern University on Thursday, but The Slipper Still Fits believes the Bulldogs got a wake-up call that will help them in the next round.
Streeter Lecka
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While many Gonzaga fans and critics alike wonder if the team was deserving of its top seed and think the team may falter in the next round against Wichita State, Zach Bell of SB Nation's Gonzaga community The Slipper Still Fits believes the near-upset should bode well for the Bulldogs in the near-future:
"There has already been plenty of reaction and overreaction to today's win over Southern. The prevalent rhetoric has been 'told you they didn't deserve a 1 seed'. Instead, as someone who knows just how good this team is, I tend to believe this was a perfect game to get the Bulldogs back in sync."
The Zags were locked in a 56-56 tie with the Jaguars with less than four minutes remaining, but big shots by Gary Bell Jr. and Kevin Pangos allowed the Bullogs to escape with a win, something that may not have happened in the past, according to TSSF:
“As we’ve said in the past, this was a game when I think past Gonzaga teams lose because they lack the mental fortitude.”
However, as this is a different team, Bell thinks that Gonzaga will have a better showing in the third round:
“All the credit in the world should go to Southern but I would be shocked if we don’t see a much better effort from the Bulldogs on Saturday against Wichita State.”
Gonzaga and Wichita State are slated for an 8:40 p.m. ET tipoff on Saturday at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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