Zags manage 30th win despite so-called funk

LAS VEGAS – Well, look at it this way: the Gonzaga Bulldogs earned yet another game to play through whatever funk it is that seems to have settled over them.

Then again, maybe that’s not entirely a good thing.

Jim Harrick dropped in on his old league Saturday night – Pepperdine was his stepping stone to a job at UCLA, where he won a national title 20 years ago – and sitting four rows up from the court at Orleans Arena gave the old coach an interesting perspective.

“These guys,” he said of the Zags at halftime, “need to get out of the league and play someone else.”

In the NCAA tournament, he meant. Maybe.

Conceivably, he could have been suggesting relocation to the Big East.

But right now, the Zags have all they can handle in the West Coast Conference, an 81-72 escape against San Francisco in the tournament quarterfinals testing the anti-perspirant of the Gonzaga bloc that made up about 80 percent of the crowd of 8,537.

Ah, but there is light at the end of the – well, hold on. The Zags are 30-2. How much darkness can there be?

If you want darkness, check in with Saint Mary’s – GU’s dance partner in five straight WCC title games until last year, when they met in the semis. But you’ll have to catch the Gaels at the boarding gate, after they were rudely bounced earlier Saturday by Portland.

In that context, the light bathing the Zags was blinding. There was a 3 1/2 minute stretch in the second half when the Bulldogs were as crisp and cold-blooded as they were in those halcyon days of November when they were stoning St. Joseph’s and swapping bold strokes with Arizona.

And there was the return to midseason form of Przemek Karnowski, who carried the Zags on his very sturdy back until they found their own legs.

The 7-foot-1 behemoth had nearly half of Gonzaga’s 27 first-half points, and let up not at all after intermission with a bullish attitude and a light touch, which even extended to the postgame interview podium.

Coach Mark Few was explaining how Karnowski’s teammate, Kyle Wiltjer, had injured a hip doing the splits on a fall, “a position that he doesn’t get to even in yoga.” Then it was revealed that all the Zags partake of the discipline – “even me,” Few said.

“And how about this guy?” he added, gesturing toward Karnowski. “Would you like to get him on a yoga mat? Some down dog …”

“Easy,” Karnowski warned.

“Tough to get into pigeon and scorpion and some of those other deals, but Shem gives it a good effort,” Few said.

Someone asked for photo confirmation.

“This offseason we’ll take some and send it to you,” Karnowski cracked.

Happy when he’s relaxed and confident, Karnowski is happier still when well fed – and his teammates made sure he was, not that they generally forget. The big fella made 10 of 14 shots – teardrops, jump hooks and exclamation-point dunks – thanks mostly to USF’s decision to eschew help.

“That stretch he had in December and January, he was as dominant a big man as there was in the country,” said Few. “The big thing for him is not settling and delivering. Don’t settle for eight-foot hooks when you can get two-foot ones.

“He just kind of got away from that and kind of lost his way in what was going to be successful.”

He’s hardly been alone. Gonzaga’s last month has been a fitful exercise, culminating in the Senior Night loss to Brigham Young, which imposed its will on the Zags by being the aggressor.

Now it looks as if it’ll be a journey to get that psyche back, and not just an overnight hop.

The 19-1 blitz that allowed Gonzaga to distance itself from the Dons was a thing of beauty, and the heart of a half that saw the Zags make 18 of 24 shots (while limiting the Dons to just 37 percent). But it was also short-lived, and soon enough they struggled against USF’s trap and allowed some minor suspense by missing eight free throws in the last 2:41.

“We know it wasn’t perfect,” said Wiltjer.

Maybe the Zags’ issue is that they desperately want it to be, instead of doing the routine chipping away until the dam breaks. And maybe some of that is opposing faces that are too familiar.

“Like coach Few said, we hit a wall,” explained swingman Byron Wesley. “It’s about pushing through. This is the third time we’re seeing these teams now and it might get a little repetitive. We’re not taking anyone for granted, but we just need to focus on coming out every game the way we did earlier this season.”

Back when they were out of almost everyone’s league.