Gonzaga goes for perfect WCC mark
Gonzaga has one more obstacle -- San Diego, coached by ex-Zag assistant Bill Grier -- in its quest for a 14-0 WCC record. Game time is 4:30 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Read an unedited game preview below.
By
Staff writer
The 17th-ranked Bulldogs (22-5, 13-0 WCC) are trying to join the 2004 and 2006 Zags in the record books with spotless conference marks. Pepperdine (1982, 1992) and Loyola Marymount (1988) are the only other teams to go undefeated since the WCC’s current eight-team alignment went into effect in 1981.
“It would be an incredible accomplishment,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. “I told our guys when they’re 60 they can be following the Zags in the paper somewhere and they can know nobody can do better than they did if they get it done.”
The Toreros (15-14, 6-7) are coming off a 66-60 win over
Beyond that,
“It’s been the hardest year I’ve gone through in coaching from that standpoint and you throw in the (season-ending) injury to Brandon Johnson … it’s been frustrating at times,” Grier said. “But we’ve had some stretches where we’ve played good and beaten some good teams. The last three games we’re actually starting to play better.”
Grier is pleased with his players’ resiliency, but knows it’ll take more – points and rebounds, specifically – to knock off the Zags.
“We’ll play hard and guard hard, but can we finish it off with rebounds,” Grier said. “The other thing is taking care of the ball. You can try to spread them out and drive, and then you have two 6-10 guys in there to block everything. It’s tough to score on them.”
Gonzaga has won five straight after a disappointing loss to
“Only two other Zag teams have done it (gone unbeaten in the WCC),” junior guard Matt Bouldin said. “To be up there with those guys would be an honor and a good way to send out our seniors.”