Gonzaga center Przemek Karnowski (24) shoots the ball during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga forward Zach Collin defends on Portland guard Jazz Johnson, Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss (in center) shoots over Portland guard D'Marques Tyson (5) during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga forward Zach Collins (32) is fouled by Portland guard D'Marques Tyson (5) during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga forward Zach Collins (32) is fouled by Portland guard D'Marques Tyson (5) during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) makes a pass around Portland guard Rashad Jackson (3) during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga forward Zach Collins (32) takes a shot as Portland center Ray Barreno (32) defends during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga forward Killian Tillie battles Portland forward Gabe Taylor for control of a loose ball, Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga center Przemek Karnowski rejects a shot by Portland guard Jazz Johnson (22), Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga defense puts a hurt on Portland guard Rashad Jackson, Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga forward Killian Tillie guards the inbounds pass from Portland guard Rashad Jackson, Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga center Przemek Karnowski (24) shoots the ball during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) is fouled during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga forward Johnathan Williams (3) passes the ball as Portland guard Chier Maker (4) defends during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Silas Melson tries to streal the ball from Portland guard Andre Ferguson, Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Portland guard Chier Maker (4) gets a hand on Gonzaga forward Johnathan Williams (3) ball during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss shoots during first half of an NCAA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Forward Zach Collins (32) was a bright spot for Gonzaga’s rebounding on Saturday, finishing with a team-high nine. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga forward Johnathan Williams dunks on Portland center Ray Barreno, Jan. 21, 2017, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss challenges Portland center Philipp Hartwich at the basket during an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss walks off the floor in pain against Portland on Saturday. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga plays Portland at home in the McCarthey Athletic Center, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. Gonzaga picked up another win, but it wasn’t the cakewalk many expected. The fourth-ranked Zags pulled away from stubborn Portland in the second half for a 73-52 victory in front of 6,000 Saturday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
We know well the numbing duration of Gonzaga’s dominance of the WCC. We know, too, that only once since Brigham Young joined the league has someone other than the Zags, Cougars or Saint Mary’s finished in the top three, and not since 2008 has another school made the WCC tournament final.
Don’t let that final score – Gonzaga 73, Portland 52 – fool you. No. 4 Gonzaga spent most of Saturday’s game in that gray area where it wasn’t really in jeopardy of losing but it wasn’t comfortably ahead of a short-handed opponent.