Dave Boling: Gonzaga is the safest bet in Vegas, but Zags’ win over USF never felt like a sure thing
LAS VEGAS – In a town that lives on people taking chances, trying to beat the odds, a Gonzaga win over San Francisco had to be one of the surest things in town.
You’ve got to go on past performance, right? Form dictates investment.
The Zags had won 32 straight games over the Dons.
Picture that – 32 straight.
The Zags had not only owned this matchup so thoroughly, as well as dominating most of the other conference foes, they had advanced to the West Coast Conference title game 27 consecutive years, dating back to 1997.
But nothing looked like a sure thing on Monday night in the semifinals of the WCC Tournament at Orleans Arena, in front of a heavily Gonzaga crowd.
At halftime, the punters going for the longshot had to be feeling good, with the Dons up by 2. In the end, though, the Zags held on to win 85-76.
They will meet the conference’s regular-season champion, Saint Mary’s, in the finals Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.
Having not played in nine days, GU looked out of sync, or at least their rangefinders needed recalibration, shooting just 38 percent in the first half. They looked sluggish and couldn’t separate from a team they beat by 20 points on March 1.
USF opened a 5-point lead in the first half, and held onto a 37-35 lead at half.
The crowd was highly supportive of the Zags all night, and cheer gustily whenever the Zags gave them cause.
Orleans Arena has been considered the Auxiliary Kennel, with so many fans able to fill the 9,500-seat gym, so many who wouldn’t otherwise fit in McCarthey.
It’s been suggested that the Zags have a number of players who can ignite on a given night and carry the team. It’s not always the main characters. Monday it was Michael Ajayi in the first half.
The transfer, who led Pepperdine in scoring last season, has been mostly a role player as the rotation has evolved this season. Monday, he was an early catalyst, with nine points and seven rebounds (three offensive), two steals and a block in the first half.
In the second half, it was mostly Graham Ike. The Zags shrewdly went for the sure money, getting it to the All-league post. Ike cashed in on four baskets from point-blank range to put the Zags up by 4.
Later, Khalil Battle got hot, nailing three from beyond the arc.
But the Dons refused to relent.
The Zags have had trouble closing the deal on teams most of the season. Untimely turnovers. Inexplicable cold stretches. It was often something. These problems, often when the pressure was on, had cost them a number of games.
Monday, though Ike finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds.
Since giving up 200 points in one week in mid-January to Oregon State and Santa Clara, coach Mark Few made some rotation adjustments, but mostly put emphasis on hustle and accountability.
Since then, nobody has scored more than 77 on them. They lost twice to Saint Mary’s in that span but throttled everybody else.
Several times on Monday, the Dons were quick enough to create problems for the Zag defenders on switches.
The Zags benefited from the absence of guard Marcus Williams (15 points per game), who was suspended for unspecified rules violations.
The win over USF lifted the Zags to 24-8, leaving them one short of 25, a win total they’ve reached 17 straight years, an NCAA Division I record.
This also gives them a third run at Saint Mary’s, who beat GU in the title game last season. The Zags haven’t lost two straight WCC Tournament titles since 1997.
Last season, the Zags suffered a mid-winter lull, and also struggle as this season’s team has.
After bouncing back late last season, Few cited his team’s character and competitiveness, and the way they pulled together in the face of adversity rather than unraveling. Monday’s win showed that this team appears to be following the same path.