Gonzaga continues late push, routs Kansas
And to think, some folks said they might not make it to March Madness.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs laughed that off as easily as they swatted away an exhausted Kansas team Saturday, rolling past the Jayhawks 89-68 at Salt Lake City to return to the Sweet 16 for the nation-leading ninth straight time.
Led by Anton Watson’s 21 points, fifth-seeded Gonzaga was nearly as good over the second half of this game as it has been over the second half of the season. The Zags scored 15 straight points early in the half to turn this one into a runaway on an afternoon when basically everyone in a navy jersey was a star.
They improved to 16-2 since Jan. 18, with the only two losses coming to Saint Mary’s, the team that beat Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference title but was dismissed from the tournament Friday night.
“Late December, it was looking like maybe it wasn’t going to happen,” coach Mark Few said. “But I’ll give credit. These guys stayed coachable. We figured it out.”
The Zags (27-7) made their first five three-pointers of the second half, not missing from long range until 1:30 remained and the game had long entered extended garbage time. They shot 60% from the field and 53% on three-pointers.
The fourth-seeded Jayhawks (23-11) have struggled with depth, shooting, consistency and injuries; leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) was out for the tournament. During Gonzaga’s 15-0 run, the Jayhawks missed 10 straight shots.
Gonzaga eventually extended the run to 32-4; Kansas shot two for 23 during that stretch.
“We’ve just always impressed upon them, if we get in this thing, we know how to win in this thing,” Few said. “This is not a new thing for our program.”
West
No. 2 Arizona 78, No. 7 Dayton 68: Caleb Love scored 19 points and the Wildcats (27-8) reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons after holding off the Flyers at Salt Lake City. Keshad Johnson and Pelle Larsson each had 13 points and seven rebounds for Arizona.
No. 1 North Carolina 85, No. 9 Michigan State 69
THE DAY IN SPORTS