Gonzaga stated its final case for being a No. 1 seed when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on Sunday by pasting No. 19 Saint Mary’s, 74-56, in the West Coast Conference championship game Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Gonzaga wins 2017 WCC basketball tournament: Zags eye No. 1 seed after 5th straight title
Whoever said “it’s tough to beat the same team three times in a season” wasn’t talking about Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
All-American candidate Nigel Williams-Goss led the way for the Zags, scoring a game-high 22 points to go along with six rebounds, six steals, and six assists. Gonzaga big man Przemek Karnowski chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The victory marked the fifth straight WCC tournament championship for Gonzaga, and its 16th since 1999. Either the Zags or Saint Mary’s have won each of the last nine WCC tourney titles.
Despite a disappointing home loss to BYU in its regular season finale, Gonzaga will carry a sparkling 32-1 record into the NCAA Tournament. Whether that mark — which also includes impressive non-conference victories over Arizona, Florida, and Iowa State — is enough to earn the Zags a second No. 1 seed in the last five years is now in the hands of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.
As for Saint Mary’s, Tuesday’s loss means that their arch-rivals from Spokane have dealt them three of the four losses on an otherwise stellar 28-4 record. The Zags also defeated the Gaels by scores of 79-56 and 74-64 during the regular season.
In spite of that, Saint Mary’s would seem to be a surefire bet to join Gonzaga in representing the WCC in the big dance. The Gaels have a current RPI of 19, and have a great non-conference road win over Atlantic 10 champion Dayton.
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