South Dakota State held the Zags to one of their lowest shooting percentages from 3-point range this season. Gonzaga finished 26.7 percent (8 of 30) from beyond the arc on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
With Gonzaga big man Przemek Karnowski struggling to find his rhythm, freshman center Zach Collins stepped up with 10 points, six rebounds and plenty of energy.
One Jackrabbit will have a little extra motivation to beat the Zags on Thursday. South Dakota State’s Michael Orris said he’ll be playing his best to upset top-seeded Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. But he’ll also be playing for another reason – his brother.
Five years ago when the 2013 Zags strolled into what was previously known as Energy Solutions Arena, they found themselves in a building full of fans that were jumping on the bandwagon of any team who had to face top-seeded Gonzaga.
When in doubt, pass the ball to Jill Barta. That seemed to be the general consensus among the Zags on Tuesday when the Gonzaga took down Saint Mary’s 86-75 for the West Coast Conference title.
Gonzaga earned a spot in the West Coast Conference championship game at 1 p.m. on Tuesday after the top-seeded Zags topped No. 4 San Francisco on Monday 77-46. It’s the first time Gonzaga has made it to the conference’s final matchup in two years.
Top-seeded Gonzaga strolled to a spot in Tuesday’s WCC women’s championship game when the Bulldogs took down No. 4 USF 77-46 on Monday at the Orleans Arena.
As Gonzaga gets ready to step out on the Orleans Arena floor on Monday to take on Santa Clara in the West Coast Conference semifinal, there will be one Zag watching from his home in Spokane.
The Gonzaga women ran out on the Orleans Arena court Friday afternoon with a few chips on their shoulders. For one, the Zags were not going to let this opening matchup slip through their fingers like it did in last year’s West Coast Conference tournament, when the Zags fell to Santa Clara.
The Gonzaga women haven’t forgotten what happened the last time they visited the Orleans Arena. Last March, the Zags fell to Santa Clara in their first game of the West Coast Conference tournament in Las Vegas. It was the second year in a row that Gonzaga had not at least reached the conference championship after making it to the final game for eight straight years.
When ESPN’s College GameDay visited Moraga, California, on Jan. 11 to watch the Zags shut down Saint Mary’s, the broadcasters took a slight detour from the game to discuss what keeps Gonzaga’s big man so big. Specifically, what Przemek Karnowski likes to eat.
Although the Gonzaga women’s basketball team has clinched the regular-season championship in the WCC, there is one more stop to make before heading to Las Vegas next week for the WCC conference tournament. The Bulldogs head to Provo, Utah, and will face BYU on Saturday in their final game of the regular season.
The excitement built up from the majority of wins throughout the regular season doesn’t usually linger for long. Sure, the Zags celebrate and they congratulate each other, but there’s no relishing the moment. By the time the clock runs out, they’re already focusing on the next game.
Since 1993, Mike Bestrom has made the roughly 150-mile roundtrip from his home in Colville to Spokane to sit on the sidelines and work as the Zags’ official scorekeeper.