A Grip on Sports: Gonzaga’s men rise above USF but the women are unable to finish off Portland

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Down, then up. That was Monday for a Gonzaga basketball fan in Las Vegas. Or for those in Spokane watching on TV. It didn’t make any difference.

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• Actually, though, maybe it did. After the Gonzaga women inexplicably lost (though we will try to explain it below) to Portland in an early afternoon West Coast Conference semifinal, there was plenty of time to hit the crap tables before the men played. If you were in Las Vegas.

Those in Spokane? They had time to take a nap. No need for lunch. The appetite was already ruined.

If you are not a Gonzaga women’s basketball fan, try to put yourself in their shoes – more than likely a pair of really comfortable New Balance. The Zags entered the WCC semifinal with a 28-2 record. A win over the Pilots were more than likely assure them of hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Yes, it would be a chance to cheer for the team you follow in the NCAAs, all the while staying home. Pretty nice.

Now that’s all up in the air – just like the Bulldogs may be soon. Though they were listed as a third seed in the most recent NCAA official mock bracket, a 70-69 loss this late to a team this unheralded may just be the impetus the NCAA needs to put another session in Corvallis or Tucson.

Mainly because every single 50/50 whistle went against Jill Townsend. It made one wonder who the senior wing ticked off. The WCC’s player of the year wasn’t much of a player in this one. Saddled by foul trouble hoisted upon her by two highly questionable calls, she played just 24 minutes.

How important is she to the Zags? In the those 24 minutes, GU was plus-10. Without her they were – hold on, I’m doing the math – minus-11. That’s pretty darn important.

Ever since Katie Campbell went down with a knee injury, the Zags have built their efficient offense through the twin posts of LeAnne and Jenn Wirth – LeAnne also fouled out – and Townsend’s slashing inside-and-out play. But more than that, they have relied on Townsend to key the defense. Without her presence, GU wasn’t the same.

Now they will have to hope the NCAA feels their body of work is enough to warrant a home game or two. We’ll find out in a week.

• Yesterday morning we documented the improvement in the WCC’s level of play this season. Last night USF documented it in a different way. Meanwhile, Dick Vitale documented how the rest of the nation has yet to catch up.

He said during the broadcast his friends mentioned he was heading out to Vegas to cover the “Gonzaga Invitational.” And that he had to set them straight.

He’s right. The WCC Tournament isn’t anything like those old tournaments George Raveling used to joke about. (Raveling once described a “classic” as a tournament in which a coach invited three teams he knew he could beat.)

By the time the semifinals roll around and Gonzaga begins playing in Las Vegas, the wheat has been culled from the chaff. All that is left is gold medal award winners. This year, USF fits that description – at least against the Zags.

The Dons have a pretty solid Gonzaga game plan. They have the players to execute it. For stretches during the regular season they gave GU fits. For stretches last night they did the same. But most importantly, the regular season success made them feel comfortable. It showed Monday. There was no panic. No Gonzaga run. No backing down. USF didn’t win. Gonzaga did. But it wasn’t easy.

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Gonzaga: That’s enough of my rambling. Let’s get to the folks who were actually in Las Vegas. We start with Jim Meehan, who has the game analysis and the keys to the men’s victory. He also has this story on Saint Mary’s win in the other semifinal. … John Blanchette touches on both the men and the women in his column. … Theo Lawson chipped in with a story on Killian Tillie dealing with a tweak to his ankle. … Tyler Tjomsland has the photo report. … The folks in the sports office put together the usual recap with highlights. … My contribution?  The TV Take. … Jim Allen has the analysis of the women’s game as well as a look ahead at the NCAA selection and the keys to the loss. … Theo has a look at their hot start and a quick story about the game. … Tyler has another photo report from the Orleans’ arena. … During the recent GU loss at BYU, someone attended with the coronavirus. Theo has more in this story. … Finally, before Jim Meehan spoke with Larry Weir before the game as part of the latest Press Box pod, he wrote about the latest polls. … Around the WCC, the BYU semifinal loss was a big blow to the Cougars and their upcoming NCAA seeding. For Saint Mary’s, there is another shot at Gonzaga and the chance to move up a line or two. … The Athletic has a story on Tillie and his relationships built at Gonzaga.

WSU: CJ Elleby had an exceptional sophomore season. He was rewarded yesterday by being named All-Pac-12. He was part of the 10-member first team. Theo has more in this story. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, the all-conference awards are the highlights just about everywhere, including at Washington. … Oregon’s Payton Pritchard was the player of the year. … UCLA’s Mick Cronin was coach of the year. … The conference tournament is a chance for everyone, including Colorado, to make a fresh start. … Do Arizona State and Arizona need one? Or are both already in the NCAA Tournament? … In football news, Oregon State is in the midst of its spring practice. … The Colorado offense will look different. So will the defensive line – for a while. … Utah welcomes back a key player. … Arizona has a new look again.

EWU: The women’s basketball season ended with a loss to Portland State in the first round of the Big Sky Conference tourney Monday night. Ryan Collingwood is in Boise and he has the coverage.

Mariners: Hey, the M’s lost another spring training game but Taijuan Walker looked impressive.

Seahawks: Free agency is coming. How will the Hawks deal with it?

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• We’ll be back in front of the TV at 6 p.m. tonight. The Zags will face Saint Mary’s, who upset BYU last night in a grinder of a game. What could be better than being paid to watch and write? Being paid to watch and not write. But life isn’t perfect. Until later …