The BYU Cougars snapped Gonzaga's 41-game home winning streak on Saturday and may have earned themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament in the process. The Cougars were able to do something no opposing team has in more than three years, coming away with a 73-70 win at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane.
Gonzaga vs. BYU final score: Cougars snap Bulldogs’ home winning streak
Gonzaga tried to make a run, but the Cougars held on.
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The game came down to the final seconds thanks in part to a pair of missed free throws by Tyler Haws. Gonzaga trimmed the lead to 71-70 with 2.6 seconds to play. BYU, however, nailed two free throws and Gonzaga’s final heave was off to seal the upset.
Gonzaga hadn't lost a home conference game since 2011, but the Cougars were able to match up with the deep and talented Gonzaga attack. Like he has been all season, Kyle Collinsworth was at the center of it all for BYU. He finished with 20 points while also grabbing eight rebounds. He came up with some huge baskets down the stretch and was also solid from the free throw line late in the game. That included a huge and-1 with less than three minutes to play that came after Gonzaga turned it over in transition with a chance to cut the lead to three or two. Instead, BYU went up eight.
BYU went up by as many as 10 points late in the game, but spent the final few minutes holding off several surges from the No. 3 Bulldogs. Gonzaga was able to trim the lead and start to mount a comeback, but every time BYU seemingly came up with every loose ball or errant rebound. It proved to just be enough to hold off the Zags.
After playing to a 36-36 tie in the first half, BYU came out strong in the second half to build a multiple possession lead. The Bulldogs never led in the game. Kevin Pangos and Kyle Wiltjer, two of Gonzaga's best players, both had off nights and struggled offensively.
The game could have a far-reaching impact on the seeding of the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga was penciled in as a potential No. 1 seed, but the loss could see the Bulldogs drop down a rung to a No. 2 seed. BYU's tournament resume gets a substantial boost. SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean had BYU among the next four out in the his latest bracketology. A road win against Gonzaga should boost the Cougars' chances, possibly enough to get them into the tournament.
Gonzaga finishes the regular season 29-2 and 17-1 in the WCC. BYU heads into the WCC tournament at 23-8 and 13-5 in conference play.
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