Memphis blues

Dazed by yet another kick-to-the-stomach reunion with the adversity that has revisited them far too many times this year, the Gonzaga Bulldogs responded admirably again Saturday night.

Not with a win, as it turned out – which might have seemed grossly unfair to most of the 11,272 who jammed into the Spokane Arena. But with another stirring performance that enamored the sellout crowd, a national ESPN television audience and their head coach, as well.

“That was probably the most courageous effort we’ve ever had here,” Mark Few said of his Zags following a dramatic, but disappointing, 78-77 overtime loss to No. 8-ranked Memphis in a wonderfully entertaining non-conference men’s basketball showdown that featured an intensity and feel normally reserved for the middle of March.

“This year has thrown us an incredible amount of adversity, and I thought we responded better than any group we’ve ever had. That was the best courage, best character and best effort – in lieu of the circumstances – I’ve ever seen.”

Already burdened by the indefinite suspension of sophomore forward Josh Heytvelt, who was arrested on drug possession charges last weekend, GU (18-10) lost senior forward Sean Mallon to an ankle sprain early in the second half of their late-season matchup against the Tigers (23-3).

But instead of tucking tail, the Bulldogs once again snapped back at misfortune and pushed Conference USA-leading Memphis to its limits before becoming the first GU team in Few’s eight-year tenure to lose 10 games in the same season.

The loss, which didn’t become official until Jeremy Pargo’s last-second heave from just past midcourt bounced harmlessly off the rim, also snapped the Zags’ six-game Arena win streak and probably put them in the position of having to win the West Coast Conference tournament to extend their run of eight consecutive NCAA tournament appearances – although Memphis coach John Calipari begged to differ.

“Are you going to try to tell me they’re not an NCAA tournament team?” Calipari said of the Bulldogs after watching his Tigers win their 15th in a row on a tough drive and bucket by Chris Douglas-Roberts with 5.6 seconds left in the extra period. “Stop! Just stop!”

Led by the backcourt duo of Pargo and Derek Raivio, who finished with a game-high 21 points and four assists, GU put itself in position to win on its final possession of regulation.

With the scored tied at 69 and just 23 seconds remaining, Few called a timeout to set up a final shot. But the potential game-winner never materialized as Pargo, after running the game clock down to 7 seconds, got trapped on the right wing and turned the ball over.

“If you’re going to have the ball in your hands at the end like that, you’ve got to get a shot up on the rim,” Few said of Pargo, who finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists. “Or you have to kick it so somebody else can get a shot up on the rim.”

Raivio said the play was designed for him to get the ball coming off a screen.

“But Jeremy decided to take the ball and got doubled. He got cut off, so …”

Still, GU put itself in position to win again near the end of the overtime period when Abdullahi Kusocoaxed in two free throws to produce a 77-76 lead with 17.6 seconds left.

Kuso then blocked a layin attempt by Douglas-Roberts out of bounds, only to have the Tigers’ leading scorer come back and score against him – through a foul and suspect continuation call – with 5.6 seconds left.

Douglas-Roberts missed the free throw, but his clutch basket was enough to decide things.

Douglas-Roberts, a 6-6 sophomore who came in averaging 15 points a game, finished with 12. Four other Tigers, including 6-9, 260-pound junior center Joey Dorsey, who had a team-high 15 points and 12 rebounds, scored in double figures.

The Zags host Portland in the McCarthey Athletic Center on Monday evening in a crucial Senior Night contest that might not involve Mallon.

“It doesn’t look good,” Few said of the injury to Mallon.

Memphis 78, GU 77 (OT)

Percentages: FG .426, FT .563. 3-Point Goals: 8-23, .348 (Mack 2-2, Hunt 2-5, Anderson 2-5, Dozier 1-2, Allen 1-3, Dorsey 0-1, Kemp 0-2, Douglas-Roberts 0-3). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked Shots: 8 (Dorsey 5). Turnovers: 15 (Dozier 3, Douglas-Roberts, Hunt). Steals: 11 (Dorsey 2, Anderson, Douglas-Roberts, Hunt, Allen). Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .483, FT .714. 3-Point Goals: 6-12, .500 (Pendergraft 2-2, Pargo 2-3, Raivio 1-1, Downs 1-2, Altidor-Cespedes 0-1, Mallon 0-1, Bouldin 0-2). Team Rebounds: 6. Blocked Shots: 2 (Kuso, Downs). Turnovers: 18 (Bouldin 4). Steals: 2 (Kuso, Pargo). Technical Fouls: None.

Halftime–Memphis 39, Gonzaga 31. A–11,272.