Zags finally reach Final Four
Gonzaga beats Xavier 83-59 to become first WCC team since 1957 in national semifinals
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The criticism dogged Gonzaga wherever it went, no matter how much it won. The Zags run up their record by beating up on teams in a weak conference, then always seemed to come up short as the calendar went deep into March. Few outside of Spokane believed the program Mark Few helped build from scratch belonged in the national powerhouse conversation.
Well, overrated no more — Gonzaga is finally headed to the Final Four.
The Zags took the pressure of history head on with a performance worthy of their No. 1 seed, rolling to a dominating 83-59 win over Xavier in the West Region final on Saturday that should silence those critics.
“Just an incredible feeling of elation and satisfaction,” Few said. “It’s been a long, hard journey to get this program here.”
Few and the Zags won the West Coast Conference Tournament 16 times and are regulars in the NCAA Tournament since 1999, reaching the Sweet 16 eight times.
The Final Four was the only missing piece to their resume.
The Zags (36-1) claimed their spot in Arizona and history with a superb all-around game, showing off their usual offensive efficiency while flexing the type of smothering defence that had been the chink in their armour.
Gonzaga made 12-of-24 shots from 3-point range after struggling the first three NCAA Tournament games. The Zags were No. 1 in defensive efficiency during the regular season and shut down the underdog and 11th-seeded Musketeers (24-14).
Gonzaga is the first WCC team since San Francisco in 1957 to reach the Final Four and first from the West since UCLA did it three straight years in 2006-08.
Nigel Williams-Goss scored 23 points while orchestrating Gonzaga’s efficient offence after struggling against West Virginia. Johnathan Williams added 19 points and centre Przemek Karnowski, who is still recovering from back surgery a year ago, created open perimeter looks with his deft passing out of the post.
Now the Zags are headed to the desert, where they’ll play the winner between South Carolina and Florida in next week’s Final Four.
“The Final Four doesn’t validate or discredit a season. It’s not an end-all, be-all,” Williams said. “Gonzaga has been a great program and we’re just happy to keep carrying the torch.”
OREGON 74, KANSAS 60
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyler Dorsey scored 27 points, Canada’s Dillon Brooks added 17 and plucky Oregon ended Kansas’ romp through the NCAA Tournament with a 74-60 victory Saturday that gave the Ducks their first Final Four trip in nearly 80 years.
Canadian Dylan Ennis added 12 points for the Ducks (33-5), who took the lead with 16 minutes left in the first half and never trailed again, giving coach Dana Altman his first trip to the national semifinals.
They’ll face the winner of today’s game between North Carolina and Kentucky.
Player of the year front-runner Frank Mason III had 21 points in his final game for the Jayhawks (31-5), who had rolled to the Elite Eight by an average margin of 30 points.