Bulldogs never doubt

PHILADELPHIA – Gonzaga was down by six with 3 minutes and 37 seconds left when the Bulldogs huddled during a timeout. The 3,200 crammed inside Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, loud from the start, had never been louder, sensing a ranked opponent was on the ropes.

Bulldogs coach Mark Few skipped the Xs and Os.

“I just said, ‘I know we’re going to win this game, you guys better jump on,’ Few said. “I didn’t have a doubt in my mind. And those guys went out and got it done and they deserve a lot of credit for that.”

This from a coach who had watched his team lose a 17-point first-half lead and score just 20 points over the previous 26 minutes. But Few’s message found receptive ears as No. 19 Gonzaga roared from the timeout with seven points in the next 75 seconds to reclaim the lead and, when forced to go overtime, the Zags responded with numerous clutch plays to grind out a 70-65 victory over Saint Joseph’s on Thursday night.

“It was our first road game and it was intense,” said Matt Bouldin, who hit two key shots late in regulation and added two free throws with 1:19 left in overtime put GU on top for good, 63-61. “It’s the first time all of us had experienced anything like that in a while and this gym really adds to it. We just pulled through. Coach willed us to victory, really.”

Just another wildly entertaining game in the GU-SJU series. The four previous matchups, split 2-2, generated plenty of drama with last-second shots and brilliant individual performances, but this one had a twist: defense.

Both teams shot less than 40 percent. GU (6-1) finished at 37 percent, 32 percent in the second half. The Hawks (3-2) made only 32 percent and connected on just 5 of 23 3-pointers.

“We had some big stops,” said senior forward David Pendergraft, who had a workmanlike 13 points and four rebounds. “That’s defense. That’s what we’re trying to prove is our identity.”

GU’s defense allowed it to endure several lengthy scoring droughts, including a 7-minute stretch without a field goal in the first half when Saint Joseph’s wiped out most of the Zags’ 29-12 lead. The Hawks charged in front on Rob Ferguson’s 3-pointer with 14:50 remaining and eventually took a 55-49 edge when Ferguson connected from 15 feet. After a timeout – and Few’s pep talk – Jeremy Pargo weaved down the lane to score and Pendergraft added a layup off a back-door cut. Bouldin was fouled while scoring from close range and his free throw gave GU the lead 56-55.

The Hawks’ Darrin Govens made a baseline jumper, but Bouldin answered with a 3-pointer from the top of the key and a 59-57 advantage. Govens drove inside and had his shot rejected by Austin Daye, but the freshman forward was called for a foul with 10.3 seconds left. Govens made both free throws to tie it and Pendergraft and Micah Downs missed potential game-winners at the other end.

Five different Zags accounted for GU’s 11 points in overtime, topped by Daye’s four. Daye didn’t enjoy the smoothest night, making just 5 of 13 attempts and committing four turnovers. None fazed the 6-foot-10 Daye, who coolly deposited a pull-up jumper with 40 seconds left.

“I think those of you seeing Daye for the first time, there’s very little question in my mind you better pay your cable bill because you’ll see (him) on TNT and TBS,” Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli said. “I thought he was a marvelous player on tape. I’m even more impressed with him in person.

“I think Bouldin is an old-school, dynamite player. Both of those guys are NBA players and they showed it at crunch time.”

Saint Joseph’s twice closed within two points. Downs, who was hit with a technical foul early in the second half as the Hawks’ momentum was building, made a pair of free throws with 20.8 seconds left and Pargo made 1 of 2 with 6.8 remaining. Carr’s long 3-point attempt banked hard off the rim and Daye collected the rebound. He made two foul shots with less than a second to seal it.

“Some guys hit big shots down the stretch,” Pargo said. “There were times when it looked like we were down on ourselves, but we got it together as a team. Coach Few made sure of that, and we came out with a win.”

The Hawks erased most of GU’s early lead by grabbing 10 offensive boards, which led to nine second-chance points as they closed within 35-30 at half. Gonzaga outrebounded the Hawks 33-17 the rest of the way.

“We flipped that around,” Few said. “We actually played good defense on them but they kept getting second and third chances. Micah had some big rebounds late in the game.”

The Zags face Connecticut in Boston on Saturday as part of the Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase at TD Banknorth Garden. Boston College and Providence square off in the nightcap.