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Feb13
Gonzaga, in and out of the rankings a couple times this season, returned to the A.P. and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls at No. 24 after wins over Saint Mary's and Loyola Marymount last week.
The Bulldogs (20-4, 10-2), who face road games at Santa Clara on Thursday and San Francisco on Saturday, shares the A.P.'s 24th spot with Wichita State. ...
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A GRIP ON SPORTS
We're going in a different direction today, one you'll see off and on as the weather warms – and the local sports news thins. We spent much of yesterday afternoon glued to the television, watching a heavyweight fight, though the guys on the screen weren't boxers. It was a knockout though. And it was the best action of the weekend, though I don't believe anyone involved broke a sweat. ...
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Feb12
Good morning. Kids' stuff today, so I'll post this and hit the road.
GU had perhaps its best 80 minutes of basketball this season, thumping Saint Mary's and LMU at the Kennel. The Bulldogs have had several impressive efforts (Arizona, Notre Dame, Xavier) but probably the one that came closest to SMC/LMU was the home rout of Portland, followed by the road win at Xavier.
Here are the links: My game story, Jesse Tinsley's fine photo gallery. ...
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A GRIP ON SPORTS
Sorry this is so late on this rainy Sunday, but you know that virus I wrote about yesterday, the one that attacked my computer? Well, it somehow jumped through the keyboard and infected me – Tron III anyone? – and now I'm the one running hot, processing information slowly and watching my batteries run down at lightning speed. The computer? It's just fine thank you. ...
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What a difference a week makes. After a road trip where the Gonzaga men’s basketball team was thumped by BYU and had its hands full with Pepperdine, the Bulldogs returned home and handled No. 16 Saint Mary’s on Thursday. The obvious concern was whether Gonzaga could summon the same energy and intensity with Loyola Marymount, statistically the best road team in the conference and also in the hunt for a double-bye in the WCC tournament, next on the schedule.
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Feb11
Back with my game story from Gonzaga's 78-59 win over LMU on Saturday. The Zags didn't let down after Thursday's big win over Saint Mary's. They dominated the Lions from the opening tip.
Kevin Pangos had 21 points and nine assists. He's probably in line for WCC player of the week honors after pouring in 27 points vs. Saint Mary's. Elias Harris also merits consideration after a pair of double-doubles (10 and 10 vs. ...
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Out of town for several hours last night, slept in this morning and woke up with the realization I forgot to post my short advance of the Gonzaga-LMU game. All I can say is: My fault for not getting this post up sooner.
Here's a quick look at the Lions. It'll be interesting to see if GU can summon the emotion and intensity it had for 40 minutes in Thursday's win over Saint Mary's against a confident LMU squad.
In the preview I mention that a $681,000 check from Mark and Marcy Few's Coaches vs. ...
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A GRIP ON SPORTS
I can't prove it, because I'm not a computer doctor, but I'm afraid my computer-machine-thingee caught a virus over the past few days. Running hot, battery problems, slow to get moving. Yep, all the earmarks. But after a day spent reloading the system file and downloading the newest versions of my favorite software – by favorite,I mean most used; there is no value judgment here concerning anyone's products – my machine is back in fine fettle. ...
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The basketball game and the events surrounding it have meaning. Two days after an emotional victory over No. 16 Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga faces third-place Loyola Marymount tonight at 5 at the McCarthey Athletic Center as part of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Day. The Bulldogs (19-4, 9-2 WCC) sit in second place. LMU (16-9, 9-3) is just in front of BYU (20-6, 8-3).
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Feb10
Caught a double-feature this morning. I watched the second half of the GU-Saint Mary's game (I took in the first half at 1:30 a.m. before the eyes gave out) and then caught the last 7 minutes of GU-SMC from 2009 on ESPNU(Zags 72-70 in Moraga -- pretty good five on the floor with Pargo, Bouldin, Downs, Daye and Heytvelt; an injured Patty Mills on SMC's bench).
I told several people last night that the first 30 minutes of Thursday's game was as high-level as any I've seen at the Kennel in five years. Raucous atmosphere, two top 20 teams playing well, fiercely contested, great individual efforts. ...
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A GRIP ON SPORTS
OK, I'll admit it. I picked St. Mary's to win last night. When asked my choice on the Patchin, Lukens and Osso radio show (featuring Vince Grippi), I went with the Gaels. What was I thinking? Well, read on and I'll tell you.
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Kevin Pangos has been at his best against two of Gonzaga’s biggest rivals. The true freshman guard buried five 3-pointers and scored 27 points, his highest point total since torching Washington State for 33 points in an early-season win, to guide Gonzaga to a crucial 73-59 West Coast Conference men’s basketball victory over No. 16 Saint Mary’s in front of a packed house of 6,000 Thursday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
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PROVO, Utah – Kim Parker had 16 points and BYU scored 20 straight in the second half to rout No. 19 Gonzaga 70-40 on Thursday night at the Marriott Center, handing the Bulldogs their worst conference loss in a decade and moving into a tie for first place with GU in the West Coast Conference. Jennifer Hamson added 14 points and Kristen Riley had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Cougars (22-4, 10-2 West Coast). Haley Steed had eight points and 10 assists to move into fourth on the school’s career assist list.
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Game long over, a Gonzaga operative pushed a wheelchair through a ground-level corridor at the McCarthey Athletic Center and toward the court, where he encountered Randy Bennett – more resigned than cranky – walking off. “I hope that isn’t for me,” the Saint Mary’s coach cracked.
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Feb09
The atmosphere inside the McCarthey Athletic Center was electric Thursday and the game lived up to the hype for 30 minutes. Gonzaga, behind freshmen guards Kevin Pangos (27 points) and Gary Bell Jr. (12 points), pulled away in the final 10 minutes to register a 73-59 victory over first-place Saint Mary's.
Gonzaga improved to 19-4, 9-2 in the WCC. The loss snapped Saint Mary's 12-game winning streak. ...
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A GRIP ON SPORTS
Yep, it's Rivalry Thursday in Spokane. The best rivalry on the West Coast (that's your opinion, as per our poll from yesterday) is about to tipoff the second of what may be three matchups this seasons. Tonight's edition comes from the McCarthey Athletic Center, home of the loudest, rowdiest, most intimidating crowd in the West Coast Conference. ...
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Steven Gray looked like the most relieved human being on the planet. Trailing Saint Mary’s by three games in the WCC standings last season, Gonzaga rallied to share the conference title with the Gaels. Gray was part of his fourth WCC championship, the Bulldogs’ 11th in a row, and he could finally exhale inside the locker room at San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion following the regular-season finale.
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RECORD: 18-4, 8-2 WCC COMING UP: Tonight vs. Saint Mary’s, 8 (ESPN2), Saturday vs. LMU, 5 p.m. (KHQ)
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Eastern Washington has a tough task Saturday at conference-leading Weber State, and statistics say it will be even tougher if the Eagles start fouling – especially if the targets are guards Damian Lillard and Scott Bamforth. The Eagles rank 336th in the NCAA – that’s third from the bottom – in fouls committed. Last month in Cheney, they put Lillard, the national scoring leader, on the line 13 times, and he missed just once in scoring 30 points.
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Feb08
Less than 24 hours before the Gonzaga-Saint Mary's showdown at the MAC. The Bulldogs' 11-year rule of the WCC is in jeopardy as GU (18-4, 8-2 WCC) trails the Gaels (22-2, 11-0) as the regular season winds down. That was the topic of my article that will run in Thursday's S-R. Here's the link.
Below, you'll find a quick glance at the GU-SMC matchup and a couple of notes that will appear in tomorrow's college basketball notebook.
