Jim Meehan

The Spokane Shock are close to finalizing their opening-day roster and it should look pretty familiar on offense, quite a bit different on defense.

LAS VEGAS – Gonzaga has demonstrated game after game that it can score points in a hurry and run the floor like a track team. On Monday, the Bulldogs showed they can win when forced out of their comfort zone.

LAS VEGAS – The Gonzaga Bulldogs have seemingly faced elimination games for the last month, so when they followed up their improbable run to a WCC regular-season title with a pair of gritty victories and a conference tournament championship, they’d certainly earned the right to celebrate. They didn’t hold back. Steven Gray, with a bandage covering a cut over his left eye that required four stitches, hopped up and down as the final seconds ticked away, waving his arms to exhort a pro-Gonzaga crowd. Robert Sacre was exhausted but sported a wide grin. Near the bench, coach Mark Few playfully put David Stockton in a head lock.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have seemingly faced elimination games for the last month so when they followed up their improbable run to a WCC regular-season title with a pair of gritty victories and a conference tournament championship, they’d certainly earned the right to celebrate.

LAS VEGAS – Gonzaga has demonstrated game after game that it can score points in a hurry and run the floor like a track team.

LAS VEGAS – Gonzaga’s Marquise Carter showed why he was voted WCC newcomer of the year and reserve wing Mike Hart showed why head coach Mark Few trusts him in critical defensive situations. Second-seeded Gonzaga repelled numerous second-half rallies by No. 3 San Francisco as Carter hit seven free throws in the final 43 seconds and the Bulldogs hung on for a 71-67 victory in the WCC men’s basketball tournament semifinals Sunday in front of 7,489 at the Orleans Arena.

LAS VEGAS – It had all the elements of a typical Gonzaga women’s basketball rout of an overmatched opponent, and a couple others that were particularly satisfying for head coach Kelly Graves. On a day when Courtney Vandersloot set a WCC Tournament record with 14 assists and mainstays Kayla Standish (23 points) and Katelan Redmon (12 points, eight rebounds) made their customary contributions, Gonzaga also received a big effort from Janelle Bekkering, its bench and its defense in crushing Portland 96-71 in front of 2,383 Sunday at the Orleans Arena.

LAS VEGAS – Gonzaga’s Marquise Carter showed why he was voted WCC newcomer of the year and reserve wing Mike Hart showed why head coach Mark Few trusts him in critical defensive situations. Second-seeded Gonzaga repelled numerous second-half rallies by No. 3 San Francisco as Carter hit seven free throws in the final 43 seconds and the Bulldogs hung on for a 71-67 victory in the WCC men’s basketball tournament semifinals Sunday in front of 7,489 at the Orleans Arena.

It had all the elements of a typical Gonzaga women’s basketball rout of an overmatched opponent, and a couple others that were particularly satisfying for head coach Kelly Graves.

LAS VEGAS – A year ago at the WCC women’s basketball tournament, Portland coach Jim Sollars stated that Gonzaga was the best team in conference history. His opinion has changed this season.

A year ago at the WCC women’s basketball tournament, Portland coach Jim Sollars stated that Gonzaga was the best team in conference history.

With the outcome already decided, Gonzaga senior guard Steven Gray returned to the court with 7:13 remaining for a final curtain call from a sell-out crowd of 6,000 at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Less than two minutes later, Gray delivered a 3-pointer and the perfect time to exit on Senior Night. Head coach Mark Few sent Mike Hart into the game and Gray departed to a standing ovation. His teammates finished up a 96-49 nonconference men’s basketball rout ofCal State Bakersfield on Monday night as the Bulldogs closed the regular season with a seven-game winning streak.

Hip-hop music blared inside the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ cramped locker room Saturday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Several players sang along with the lyrics, a couple trotted out dance moves, sidestepping numerous gym bags on the floor. Senior guard Steven Gray was right in the middle of it all, and for good reason. He didn’t want to see Gonzaga’s run of consecutive West Coast Conference titles end on his watch.

SAN DIEGO – Mark Few has been on the bench for every one of Gonzaga’s 11 consecutive West Coast Conference men’s basketball championships. His teams have done it the easy way, running the WCC table three times and winning by four, five and a whopping six games, respectively. His 2010-11 crew did it the hard way, and that made it even more special for Gonzaga’s 12th-year head coach.

Gonzaga throttled San Diego 68-31 on Saturday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, to clinch a share of its 11th consecutive WCC title, the second-longest streak in NCAA Division I history.