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Gonzaga Basketball

Familiar foes Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s face off for WCC tournament title

Gonzaga faces Saint Mary’s tonight at 6 in Las Vegas for the WCC Tournament title. Pictured, from left, Nigel Williams-Goss, Jordan Mathews and Coach Mark Few. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Meehan jimm@spokesman.com(509) 459-5585

LAS VEGAS – Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s will decide another WCC tournament title.

The top-seeded Zags (31-1) and No. 2 Gaels (27-3) have played for the championship seven of the last nine seasons. Gonzaga is 4-2 against the Gaels in those matchups. The Zags also defeated BYU twice in that eight-year span.

Tip time is 6 p.m. at Orleans Arena.

The Zags won both regular-season matchups, thumping the Gaels 79-56 in Spokane and 74-64 in Moraga. Saint Mary’s comes in with momentum after dismantling BYU 81-50 in the semifinals. The Zags outlasted Santa Clara 77-68.

“I think the team who wins gets the game at their comfort level,” BYU coach Dave Rose said. “The Zags have great size and strength and so do Saint Mary’s, but the Zags can get in tough spots and play their way out of it.

“If Saint Mary’s is shooting the ball like they were (against BYU on Monday), who knows.”