Blanchette: Bitter taste removed by Zags

LAS VEGAS – In the midst of another net-cutting and another confetti shower from the rafters of Orleans Arena, Gonzaga coach Mark Few wrapped an arm around guard Gary Bell Jr. and another around Bell’s mother, Vivian.

“This is our Senior Night!” he insisted. “This is our Senior Night!”

And who’s to argue?

The Bulldogs had just played a glorious game at their favored breakneck pace, at least when it wasn’t interrupted by a whistle. They’d provided major thrills for nearly as many of their dearly devoteds as can fit into their living room back in Spokane. They’d won their 15th game in 17 tries at the Orleans – not Kennel dominance, but nearly. Those were all very Senior Nightish feelings.

And this time they won – a 91-75 blistering of Brigham Young to officially book passage to yet another NCAA tournament.

Seventeen in a row now. Crazy, people.

And while that’s hardly insignificant to the Zags, they were far more obsessed with a do-over for the tumble they took against the Cougars on Senior Night 1.0 back in Spokane 10 days earlier.

“That left a bitter taste in my mouth,” Bell admitted, “and Kevin’s (Pangos) and Byron’s (Wesley). It was a revenge game.”

Hey, when you take a mulligan and knock it in the cup, it isn’t technically a hole-in-one – but it still feels a hell of a lot better than the one you bladed into the trees.

Here’s how important it was to the Zags: they were absolutely rooting for the Cougars to make it through to the title game.

“Coach Few said we wouldn’t feel good for the rest of the year if we didn’t play BYU again,” said center Przemek Karnowski.

In some ways, this seems like a rather un-Zaggish posture, drawing motivation from one of the WCC’s house bands. Rivalry talk was always downplayed even during the steamy five straight title games against Saint Mary’s. Well, downplayed by everyone but the voluble Robert Sacre, but never mind that.

But the Gaels never struck at Gonzaga’s manhood quite the way the Cougars did by out-toughing them in Spokane.

And so the contentious relationship expected immediately upon BYU’s inclusion in the league in 2012 – especially after Gonzaga’s blowout loss in the NCAAs that spring – seems to have finally completed its gestation period.

In fact, if the Cougars ever come up with an Omar Samhan-like villain, this could get really fun.

Hard to think it’ll get any more fun for the Zags, however.

“This was full-throttle,” said Kyle Dranginis, who nearly played himself onto the all-tournament team with three terrific games off the bench.

Full-throttled in several ways. Freed from the grinding pace of WCC opponents like San Diego and Pepperdine, the Bulldogs rejoiced in racing it up the floor, with Bell and Pangos stomping on the pedal.

Then they gave chase to BYU’s guards, and after minimal success early eventually held the Cougars to just 40 percent shooting. Tyler Haws had yet another subpar game against Bell and friends. Kyle Collinsworth got his 28 points – but needed 22 shots.

And finally, the Bulldogs imposed their will where they hadn’t been able to in Spokane – down low.

“At the end of the day,” Few said, “our bigs are what separate us nationally.”

Domantas Sabonis was relentless in getting himself to the foul line. Karnowski shook off first-half foul trouble to rule the second half (“he made every right decision,”) Few said). And Kyle Wiltjer, the tournament MVP, tortured the Cougars inside and out.

These were the Zags of December and January, and apparently the Zags of March.

“I think all of us kind of lost that edge the last month of the season,” Dranginis said. “The coaches were on us to get that back. And we were really motivated. That last game in Spokane – that’s not us at all, and we wanted to show them how we really play.”

It’s a long haul. The Zags couldn’t have been sharper when this all started in November; it’s probably silly not to expect a dip. The panic, of course, is that it was happening at precisely the wrong time.

“We kind of grinded our way through the league, and that’s what happens in league play,” Few said. “We got back to being in attack mode here. Without a doubt that’s when we’re at our best.”

And now?

“They’re as hungry as any of my teams have been to get into this NCAA tournament,” he said, “and win a lot of games.”

Maybe they should make them all Senior Night do-overs.