No. 1 moves on

TOP 25 MEN/WCC CHAMP.

Gonzaga’s Joey Ayayi (above, left) and Jalen Suggs embrace after the top-ranked Bulldogs defeated BYU 88-78 in the championship game of the West Coast Conference Tournament on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Suggs hit two late three-pointers and scored 23 points, helping Gonzaga (26-0) survive its biggest test of an undefeated season to date.

LAS VEGAS — Jalen Suggs hit two late three-pointers and scored 23 points, helping topranked Gonzaga survive its biggest test of an undefeated season to beat Brigham Young 88-78 in the West Coast Con- ference Tournament title game Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs (26-0) had been unstoppable all season, winning all but one of their games by double digits as they advanced to the WCC title game for the 24th consecutive year.

The Cougars (20-6) made the lopsided losses list twice, but exposed Gonzaga’s lone weakness in the first half at Orleans Arena: Its defense.

BYU shot confidently, using an early 11-0 run to build a 12-point halftime lead.

The Bulldogs responded to their biggest halftime deficit in three years by locking down defensively and getting back to their efficient ways on offense.

Suggs took charge down the stretch, hitting consecutive three-pointers to put Gonzaga up by nine with 1:28 left. Corey Kispert scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half.

Gonzaga has won a school-record 30 consecutive games over two seasons and will be the first team since Kentucky in 2015 and 16th overall to enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated. The Zags won their eighth WCC title in nine years and 17th under Coach Mark Few.

Trevin Knell led BYU with 20 points.

The Cougars were the last team to beat Gonzaga, 91-78 on Feb. 22, 2020.

Gonzaga won the first meeting this season by 17 points, but the second was 8271 — one of the closest games these Bulldogs have played.

BYU’s best chance to win the third go-round was to outshoot them.

The Cougars did just that to start the game, hitting 10 of their first 16 shots to take a 2619 lead. BYU continued to go right at the Bulldogs, hitting 9 of 13 from beyond the arc to lead 53-41 at halftime. Knell had 15 points and was 4 of 5 on three-pointers.

TOURN. CHAMPIONSHIPS COLONIAL ATHLETIC DREXEL 63, ELON 56

HARRISONBURG, Va. — Mate Okros scored 14 points with four three-pointers and sixth-seeded Drexel (12-7) is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years after defeating eighth-seeded Elon in the championship game of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

Hunter McIntosh scored 19 points for Elon (10-9).

HORIZON

CLEVELAND STATE 80, OAKLAND 69

INDIANAPOLIS — Torrey Patton had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and top-seeded Cleveland State beat Oakland in the Horizon League championship for the program’s third NCAA Tournament berth.

Cleveland State (19-7) snapped a string of four consecutive 20-loss seasons this year to win its first conference title since 2009 — when it upset No. 4 seed Wake Forest in the NCAAs.

Jalen Moore scored 22 points with seven assists for Oakland (12-18).

NORTHEAST

MOUNT ST. MARY’S 73, BRYANT 68

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Damian Chong Qui scored 21 points and Malik Jefferson scored 10 with 15 rebounds and Mount St. Mary’s stunned Bryant in the Northeast Conference tournament championship.

It’s Mount St. Mary’s (12-10) sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament. Bryant (15-6), which entered the game undefeated at home this season, has yet to make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

SUMMIT

ORAL ROBERTS 75, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 72

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Max Abmas scored 23 points, Francis Lacis made a game-saving block and steal, and No. 4-seed Oral Roberts beat third-seeded North Dakota State in the Summit League tournament championship.

It’s the first tournament title for Oral Roberts (16-10) since 2007-08 and the first league championship since Oakland’s in 2010-11 that doesn’t include South Dakota State or North Dakota State.

TOP 25 WOMEN

NO. 20 SOUTH FLORIDA 48, WICHITA STATE 44

FORT WORTH — Sydni Harvey scored 14 points and South Florida, the top seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament, avoided a major upset with a win over ninth-seeded Wichita State in the quarterfinals.

Elena Tsineke added 12 points for the Bulls (16-3), who overcame 24.6% shooting (15 of 61) and 16 turnovers. They will play fourth-seeded Temple in the semifinals on Wednesday.

TOURN. CHAMPIONSHIPS HORIZON WRIGHT STATE 53, IUPUI 51

INDIANAPOLIS — Angel Baker scored 23 points and top-seeded Wright State (18-7) used a 14-0 run in the second half to beat defending champion IUPUI (15-5) in the Horizon League championship for its second NCAA Tournament bid in three seasons.

Baker outdueled three-time player of the year Macee Williams — who scored every second-half point (16) for IUPUI.

SUMMIT

SOUTH DAKOTA 66, NEBRASKA-OMAHA 43

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Hannah Sjerven scored 20 points with nine rebounds and second-seeded South Dakota (19-5) earned its third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid with a romp over eighth-seeded Nebraska-Omaha (7-13) in the Summit League championship.

WEST COAST

NO. 18 GONZAGA 43, BYU 42

LAS VEGAS — Jill Townsend scored on an 15-foot fadeaway jumper as time expired and No. 18 Gonzaga (23-3) rallied past second-seeded BYU (18-5) in the West Coast Conference championship.

Kaylynne Truong inbounded the ball with 0.6 seconds to play, finding Townsend on the left side of the lane. Townsend, one of three starters who did not start because of illness, came off a Jenn Wirth screen and just got the shot off over 6-foot-7 Sara Hamson as time expired for her only points of the game.