No. 3 Gonzaga hosts Saint Mary's to close out season
Third-ranked Gonzaga is expected to play deep into March Madness but the Zags are still reeling from a recent loss to BYU.
There also is the lack of depth issues that coach Mark Few occasionally mentions.
But the Bulldogs wrapped up their eighth straight West Coast Conference title and now look to close the regular season in style when they host Saint Mary's in the regular-season finale on Saturday night at Spokane, Wash.
Gonzaga (28-2, 14-1 WCC) wrapped up the regular season crown and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament with a solid 94-59 victory over San Diego on Thursday. The Bulldogs outscored the Toreros by 23 points in the second half.
"You have to give them credit for coming out and playing pretty good, but we stepped up our game in the second half," senior guard Admon Gilder told reporters afterward. "When we're able to play like that, we're really unstoppable."
It was a much-needed bounce-back performance after last Saturday's 91-78 loss at BYU, an outcome that halted a 19-game winning streak.
Gonzaga's strong showing came with its typical seven-man rotation with others playing once the game was out of reach.
That rotation has been just six players several other times due to senior forward Killian Tillie's knee and ankle injuries. Tillie has missed nine games.
Few has seen the effects in recent games -- and not just in the loss to BYU.
"We've had a long year with not much depth," Few said after Thursday's victory. "Guys are physically tired and they can get mentally tired, too. To come out, especially in the second half, our defensive intensity was really good and we were pretty darn efficient on the offensive end. I was proud of that."
The Bulldogs posted a 51-27 rebounding advantage against the Toreros and had five players score in double digits. Sophomore power forward Filip Petrusev led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds, while junior forward Corey Kispert scored 16 points and senior point guard Ryan Woolridge contributed 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Gonzaga often gets challenged by Saint Mary's but the team's first meeting was a one-sided affair as the Bulldogs rolled to a 90-60 shellacking on the Gaels' home floor. Freshman forward Drew Timme had 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting while Petrusev recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds.
It was one of those type of performances that left Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett scratching his head in the aftermath of the game.
"I can't find a good stat on our part," Bennett said after that contest. "That should not happen. Pick a stat. Three assists for the game. ... We were not ready for the competition that you're about to engage in. It doesn't mean you're not excited to play but you're not ready for the battle that you have to be ready for."
Saint Mary's (24-6, 11-4) has responded to the humiliating loss by stringing together four straight wins and looks assured of a NCAA Tournament at-large berth.
The Gaels notched a 78-72 road victory over Santa Clara on Thursday with star senior point guard Jordan Ford scoring 33 points for his fifth 30-point effort of the campaign.
Ford, who scored 23 in the loss to Gonzaga, is averaging 20.9 points and has knocked down a team-best 74 3-pointers.
Junior forward Malik Pitts also has played well and is averaging 17.0 points and a team-leading 7.2 rebounds.
The Gaels have dropped 16 of the past 20 contests with Gonzaga.
But one of the victories was a big one as Saint Mary's stunned the Bulldogs 60-47 in last season's WCC tournament title game to notch its first-ever victory over a No. 1-ranked team.
--Field Level Media
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