Bulldogs hold off Broncos
LAS VEGAS — Jared Brownridge and Nate Kratch embraced at midcourt one last time.
After losing 77-68 to topseeded Gonzaga in a WCC semifinal game Monday night at Orleans Arena, the Santa Clara seniors knew their days of playing together are probably over.
They went out on quite a note, challenging one of the nation’s best teams until the final minutes before the Zags took control and advanced to the championship to play St. Mary’s at 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN.
“For Jared and Nate, tonight was really a capstone for what has been a brilliant career by both men,” Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek said. “This year, they were especially good, and they enriched me on a daily basis.”
Santa Clara, which had trailed by as many as 15 points, was down only 68-63 with less than two minutes to play. Junior point guard Nigel Williams-Goss made just the Zags’ second three-pointer of the night to make it 71-63 with 1:45 left.
After Emmanuel Ndumanya made two foul shots, Zach Collins extended Gonzaga’s advantage to 74-65 on a threepointer with 47 seconds remaining. Williams-Goss’ free throw made it a 10-point game, and Silas Melson clinched it with two free throws with 11.8 ticks on the clock.
The Zags (31-1) lead the nation in scoring margin (plus-24.1) and beat WCC opponents by an average of 26.2 points, but the Broncos (17-16) wouldn’t let their seniors get embarrassed like that.
Brownridge had 32 points and four rebounds, and Kratch added nine points and six rebounds as Santa Clara hung around by outscoring Gonzaga 27-9 from the three-point arc.
The Zags, who advanced to the WCC championship game for the 20th consecutive season, dominated inside, shooting 55.8 percent from the floor and outproducing Santa Clara 4628 on points in the paint.
“It’s been an amazing run,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. “It’s March. It’s really, really competitive. The teams we’re playing have a sense of desperation, but our guys have done an incredible job.”
Gonzaga was led by Williams-Goss, who had 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Przemek Karnowski put up 19 points and seven rebounds, and Johnathan Williams added 11 points and six rebounds in a grind-it-out win.
There were five ties and two lead changes in a first half that showcased the team’s contrasting styles. Santa Clara poured in 15 points from the threepoint arc, and Gonzaga pounded home 28 points in the paint as the teams went back and forth until the final 6½ minutes of the half.
Williams-Goss had six points, and Karnowski added five during a 13-2 run that put the Zags on top 37-26 with 28 seconds left. Brownridge’s buzzer-beating three-pointer trimmed the Broncos’ deficit to eight.
The Zags extended their lead to 56-41 before Santa Clara refocused its attention on the great equalizer: the three-pointer. Brownridge made two treys in a 64-second span to spark a 10-0 run that made it 56-51 with nine minutes left.
“It’s weird to see it come to an end,” Brownridge said. “Those four years really go by fast, but I have great memories.”