SB Nation Seattle - WCC Tournament 2012: Gonzaga Falls To St. Mary's In Overtime In Championship Game

2012 WCC Basketball Tournament Championship: Gonzaga Can't Quite Best St. Mary's, Falls 78-74 In Overtime

2012-03-06T04:29:42Z

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and St. Mary's Gaels played a high-paced and strong first half that led to both teams being tied at halftime. Elias Harris and Robert Sacre led the way for Gonzaga in the first half, but they were unable to defend the three pointer effectively and found themselves tied with St. Mary's at halftime.

Gonzaga fell behind after halftime as St. Mary's kept on riding hot shooting to stay in front, and Gonzaga had trouble stopping Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones from getting their buckets. Sam Dower came alive to assist Sacre and Harris to keep up, but St. Mary's still had a narrow 68-63 lead with about 30 seconds left.

After Gonzaga got a quick bucket from Harris, the Bulldogs managed to tie up Dellavedova and force a jump ball and get the ball back with the possession arrow pointing toward the Zags. Then Harris buried a triple to tie the game with a few seconds left, and Dellavedova's last second runner was long.

In overtime, both Gonzaga and St. Mary's traded baskets for much of the period, but with the game tied at 72, Kevin Pangos banged Dellavedova on a scramble, forcing Matthew to the free throw line where he put St. Mary's up for good. St. Mary's hit their free throws the rest of the way.

St. Mary's earns the automatic bid from the WCC (they were already likely to win an at-large bid), pairing it up with a regular season conference title.

To discuss Gonzaga basketball, check out The Slipper Still Fits.

WCC Tournament Final: Gonzaga University vs Saint Mary's University

2012-03-05T19:55:35Z

Game 8: Championship Game (6pm, ESPN / ESPN3): No. 1 Saint Mary's Gaels vs No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs

In recent years, the WCC Tournament has always been Gonzaga's to lose. Times are finally starting to change in the West Coast Conference. The BYU Cougars added a much appreciated competitive team to the mix, and Saint Mary's is starting to resemble a consistent title contender. For the first time in 12 years, Gonzaga didn't take home a piece of the WCC regular season title. Although the San Francisco Dons also tried to spoil the fun, the WCC tournament really seemed like it would be Saint Mary's and Gonzaga all along. The two teams split the regular season games, each winning at home, so its time for the bragging rights to be determined.

What to know: Gonzaga traveled to Moraga, California early in WCC play and at the time it seemed that Saint Mary's was the team to beat. The Gael's had their way with the Bulldogs en route to a 19 point victory that would be the shining piece of a 12 game win streak. Eventually injuries and the toll of being the top dog in the league started to take their toll. Stephen Holt is most likely still out for the Gael's, and even though they won the WCC crown, they completed the act in increasingly less and less convincing fashion. But as most coaches will say - a win is a win. Saint Mary's is a selfless team that doesn't make many mistakes. Matthew Dellavedova is making a career out of hassling the Bulldog's backcourt, averaging 18.3 points and close to 5 assists against the Bulldogs throughout his career.

Kevin Pangos scored 30 points in a 18 point win against BYU on Saturday night, hitting five threes in the process. Pangos has struggled at times on the road/neutral courts this year, but the Orleans Arena will most likely be a de facto home game for the Bulldogs. Saint Mary's will need to neutralize Pangos if they have any hope of winning this game. He has a very quick release and hits 42.3% from beyond the arc. If he is left open, he will take that shot.

Who is going to win: Saint Mary's took a blow when Stephen Holt injured his knee. The sophomore guard quietly puts up a solid stat line each game he plays, averaging 10 points, 4.7 boards, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals a game. Rob Jones is a big fellow, but standing at 6-6, he is a bit undersized. The Gonzaga front line is much taller than the Gaels, and if Robert Sacre, Elias Harris, and Sam Dower remember this fact they should be able to do as they will against a smaller Gaels line-up. Where as Saint Mary's were playing some of their best basketball earlier in WCC play, outside of the loss to San Francisco, Gonzaga is clicking just in time for March to roll around. Neither team needs the tournament title to make it into March Madness, but a win here will go a long way in solidifying a better seed for each team. ESPN's Joe Lunardi currently projects Saint Mary's in the dreaded 8 seed slot and Gonzaga is sitting in a much more comfortable 6 seed. For seeding purposes, Saint Mary's needs the win more than Gonzaga. But for hunger purposes, expect this game to be close and expect Gonzaga to take the first step towards re-establishing WCC dominance tonight.

WCC Tournament 2012: Bracket Updates, Schedule And TV Coverage For Day 5

2012-03-04T13:00:42Z

The Gonzaga Bulldogs saw their impressive streak of first-place seasons come to an end in 2012. Although they were denied a shot at immortality, they will have another chance to exact revenge on the team that took control of the WCC over the past season.

The fifth and final day of the 2012 WCC Tournament will take place on Monday. There will be no games on Sunday due to religious services, as well as to give the final teams a day to recuperate before the big showdown.

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The St. Mary's Gaels pulled off quite a feat when they claimed the regular-season WCC title. It marked the first time in over a decade that the Gonzaga Bulldogs did not claim at least a share of the top spot in the conferece at season's end. Now the Gaels and the Zags will face off one last time before the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

St. Mary's advanced to the final game by coming from behind to knock off the San Francisco Dons in the semifinals, while Gonzaga coasted to a relatively easy win over the BYU Cougars.

The championship game will tip off at 6:00 p.m. PT on Monday night and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

For all news and information regarding the Gonzaga Bulldogs, please visit The Slipper Still Fits.

WCC Tournament 2012: Gonzaga University vs BYU

2012-03-03T20:17:37Z

Game 7: 30 minutes after Game 6 - No. 3 BYU Cougars vs. No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (ESPN2 / ESPN3)

What to know: BYU had a tight game last night with the San Diego Toreros before finally pulling away late to pick up a five point win. Both teams match up well on paper with strong guard play and good inside presence. The Bulldogs can be a bit careless with the balls at time due to an inexperienced back court of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. The Bulldogs had 19 turnovers in a loss at BYU. The Bulldogs will have their hands full guarding Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies. The Cougars need to keep a man on Kevin Pangos. If the Bulldogs shots from behind the three point line are falling in, they are a tough team to defend against because it really opens up the floor for Elias Harris and Rob Sacre down low. Watch out for Sam Dower to quietly put up some good numbers in this game. Last year, Marquise Carter dragged the Bulldogs through the WCC tournament, so don't be surprised to see good numbers from him either.

Who is going to win: This is as hard of a game to call as any. The teams split the series during conference play, each winning at home. Gonzaga always brings swarms down to Las Vegas to the tournament, but Nevada is also Mormon country so expect to see just as many, if not more, BYU faithful. Excluding the slip up against University of San Francsico, Gonzaga has played the best basketball in the conference for the past month, winning by an average of 12 points. However, the Bulldogs already have a locked up at large bid even if they don't win the tournament. Pundits are placing BYU in the tourney, but their resume is a bit more shaky and could use an added win here. Still, with the way Gonzaga has played lately, and the fire of losing the conference for the first time in 11 years, expect the Bulldogs to come out hard, fast, and continue to the tournament finals.

To talk about the WCC Tournament with Gonzaga basketball fans, check out The Slipper Still Fits.

WCC Tournament 2012: University of San Francisco vs Saint Mary's University

2012-03-03T19:54:33Z

Game 6: 6 p.m. - No. 1 Saint Mary's Gaels vs. No. 5 San Francisco Dons (ESPN2 / ESPN3)

What to know: The WCC treats the top two seeds like royalty in the conference tournament. Saint Mary's enters this game well rested and not having played for a week. The Dons are now going on their third night in three games after upsetting the number four seed Loyola Marymount Lions last night. The Gael's are led by one of the more underrated point guards in the country in Matthew Dellavedova who averages 15.4 points per game and 6.5 assists a game. Dellavedova and forward Rob Jones are the anchors of the team. Saint Mary's will most likely be without guard Stephen Holt who averages 10.4 points per game. The Gael's aren't the most athletic team around, but Coach Bennett has them playing unselfishly, smart, and careful basketball. They pass the ball well and take care of it when they do, averaging 12 turnovers as a team. The Don's rely heavily on defense and traps, but Dellavedova is a crafty Australian who doesn't get tripped up too often.

Who is going to win: The Dons are going on their third night in three games, but they are also playing with nothing to lose. Even if the Gaels lose tonight will make it into March Madness as an at-large bid. Even though Saint Mary's lost three of their final six games entering the tournament, they beat the Dons twice during conference play. San Francisco excels against teams that are a little more loose with the ball, but Saint Mary's isn't one of those teams. Look for the restful legs and the smart basketball to carry the Gaels to victory.

WCC Tournament 2012: Bracket Updates, Schedule And TV Coverage For Day Four

2012-03-03T13:01:10Z

The 2012 West Coast Conference Tournament held its quarterfinal matchups on Friday night. When the smoke had cleared, the No. 1 seeded St. Mary's Gaels and the No. 2 seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs finally knew who they would be facing in Saturday's semifinals.

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In the first game of the evening, the BYU Cougars took on the San Diego Toreros. The game was a tight one from the outset and the two teams headed into halftime with the score tied, 34-34. The Cougars were finally able to pull ahead in the second half and BYU picked up the 73-68 win. They'll take on Gonzaga in the second semifinal game on Saturday. The game will begin at 8:00 p.m. PT and will air nationally on ESPN2.

The second quarterfinal game on Friday night saw the San Francisco Dons come from behind to knock off the Loyola Marymount Lions by a final score of 67-60. The Dons will take on St. Mary's in the first semifinal game on Saturday. That game will begin at 6:00 p.m. PT and will air on ESPN2.

For ongoing coverage of the WCC Tournament, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the Gonzaga Bulldogs, please visit The Slipper Still Fits. For updates and perspective on the BYU Cougars, head on over to Vanquish the Foe. For complete coverage of the college hoops postseason and the NCAA Tournament, check out SB Nation's dedicated NCAA basketball hub.

WCC Tournament 2012: BYU vs University of San Diego

2012-03-02T16:30:12Z

Game 5: 30 minutes after Game 4 - No. 3 BYU Cougars vs. No. 6 San Diego Toreros (ESPNU / ESPN3)

What to know: BYU's introduction into West Coast Conference play went as many suspected it would. It competed with the top teams for the most part and didn't have as many slip-ups in league play as everyone else would. They have one of the more efficient scoring forwards in the nation with senior Noah Hartsock who averages 16.8 points on 56.6% shooting. He should be back with a knee injury, and if he is, then this game shouldn't be much of a question. Freshmen UCLA transfer Matt Carlino is an impact guard whose numbers have steadily risen as the year has progressed.

Who is going to win: There is a pretty severe talent discrepancy in the league the farther you get down, and the Toreros are where it starts. BYU won both games against the Toreros by 19 points and 33 points. Now that we are in Las Vegas, this is essentially a road game for San Diego as the BYU faithful should be out in droves. That home crowd is going to make it near impossible for the Toreros to pull it off tonight.

WCC Tournament 2012: Loyola Marymount University vs University of San Francisco

2012-03-02T16:20:39Z

Game 4: 6 p.m. - No. 4 Loyola Marymount Lions vs. No. 5 San Francisco Dons (ESPNU / ESPN3)

What to know: Before everyone across the nation knew that the UCLA Bruins were not a good team this year, the Lions rolled into Pauley Pavilion and thumped them by 10 points. The Lions also own good wins over the Saint Mary's Gaels and the Saint Louis Bilkens. The Lions have a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging over 10 points a game led by Anthony Ireland at 15.5. They are a solid free throw shooting team that is finely healthy - and the most appropriate times.

Who is going to win: The key number here is the number three - that is the total number of points the Lions beat the Dons by in the two conference games this year. The Lions are also a turnover prone team. Their main four contributors average 10 a game, and getting careless with the ball will play into the Dons hand. Coach Rex Walters has to use an all hustle on defense, trademarked by constant traps in the corner and half court presses. Even with the win over the Gaels towards the end of the season, the Lions lost to the San Diego Toreros by three and only beat the Santa Clara Broncos by three to close out WCC play. The Dons are the hungrier team at the moment and will out-hustle the Lions to the win.