Sports

The opening at Washington could loom large for fans of WSU, Kyle Smith.

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It all seemed familiar, didn’t it, in a Thanksgiving-feast sort of way? Monday’s West Coast Conference tournament semifinals, we mean. And tonight’s title games won’t be much different either.

When Dan Rucker celebrated with his seventh girls basketball team after winning the state championship on Sunday, he was unaware he was standing on one of the most advanced flooring technologies in the country.

In an 89-77 win over San Francisco in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament on Monday at the Orleans Arena, Ben Gregg became The Man.

A late start due to the game before on ESPN2 running long? Check. The obligatory start on another ESPN channel, this time ESPNU? Check again. Dave Flemming and Sean Farnham waiting in Las Vegas? Trifecta. Yep, it was another West Coast Conference tournament semifinal, complete with the same storyline we’ve all seen for years. And a couple times earlier this season.

Ryan Nembhard

From staff reports

A four-time Big West Conference Coach of the Year, Monson will step down following the postseason.

Finally, eight-and-a-half hours into the first day of the NFL free agency period, the Seahawks made their big splash, getting an agreement done with defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

What happens in Las Vegas seems to happen every March at the West Coast Conference Tournament.

BOISE – On Idaho’s last day of the 2024 basketball season, Carrie Eighmey got an eyeful of what she wants her team to look like down the road.

LAS VEGAS – After more than two decades, there aren’t many adjectives or descriptions that haven't been used when characterizing the nature of basketball games between Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.

LAS VEGAS – Alex Ducas wasn’t one of the three Saint Mary’s players named to the All-West Coast Conference First Team last week, but the senior guard was the most valuable player wearing a Gaels uniform during the early stretches of Monday’s conference tournament semifinal against Santa Clara.

When Annemarie Prince was chasing moose for research a few weeks back, she noticed there wasn't a lot of snow. 

PULLMAN – Former Washington State star quarterback Gardner Minshew is headed to Las Vegas.

We aren’t suggesting Washington State should take the proverbial dive. The Cougars undoubtedly will play to win — they should play to win — and they would derive significant benefit from claiming the conference title. But over the long haul, WSU’s bank account would be better off without a trophy.

LAS VEGAS – The results show the Gonzaga women’s basketball team trampled West Coast Conference opponents by 30.7 points per game this season.

Off for 11 days since its regular-season finale, Gonzaga committed uncharacteristic turnovers and shot poorly, but the 14th-ranked Zags had more than enough contributions to stop Pacific at Orleans Arena in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament.