03/10/26 10:24:00
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03/10 22:22 CDT No. 12 Gonzaga beats Santa Clara 79-68 to win the WCC
tournament in its final appearance
No. 12 Gonzaga beats Santa Clara 79-68 to win the WCC tournament in its final
appearance
By MARK ANDERSON
AP Sports Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) --- Mario Saint-Supry scored 21 points, Tyon Grant-Foster had
20 and No. 12 Gonzaga went out a winner in its final West Coast Conference
Tournament by beating Santa Clara 79-68 on Tuesday night in the championship
game.
The Bulldogs (30-3) received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament, though the only mystery was what seed they will get. This was their
sixth WCC tournament title in seven years and 12th in the last 14.
Santa Clara (26-8) will wait until Sunday to see if it is in the 68-team field,
but the WCC appears to be a three-bid league. Gonzaga, Santa Clara and No. 21
Saint Mary's were in the top 38 of the NCAA's NET rankings entering this game
and in the top 35 in Kenpom.
Four players scored in double figures for the Zags, who made 52.8% of their
shots. Graham Ike added 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting.
Christian Hammond led the Broncos with 24 points, and Allen Graves scored 11.
Sash Gavalyugov, who scored 23 points that included the dagger 3-pointer in the
closing seconds to beat Saint Mary's 76-71 in the semifinals, was held to
eight. He was 3 of 13, including 2 of 9 from 3-point range.
But the Broncos made Gonzaga earn this victory. They led 52-50 nearly midway
through the second half before the Bulldogs scored seven straight point to go
ahead for good.
After dominating the WCC, Gonzaga will see if it can continue to assert itself
against San Diego State, Boise State and Utah State in the revamped Pac-12
Conference beginning next season.
That will come later. Gonzaga has yet another NCAA Tournament appearance to
place its focus.
___
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