The last sliver of confetti had settled on the floor at Orleans Arena and the net had been scissored into souvenirs, so the Gonzaga Bulldogs drifted away toward their locker room, champions again.
It was one highlight play after another on an endless loop. Slick passes, 3-pointers that barely ruffled the net, suffocating defense, steals, smart passes, run-out layups.
The key moment, offensive player of the game and defensive player of the game from Gonzaga’s 74-54 win over BYU in the championship game of the WCC Tournament on Tuesday, March 6, 2018.
Simply put, that was impressive. Not just Gonzaga’s defense-powered 74-54 win over BYU to win the West Coast Conference Tournament – and the league’s NCAA automatic berth – for the sixth consecutive season, but the way the Zags impressed ESPN’s godfather, Dick Vitale.
Just after Gonzaga’s 79-71 win over San Diego, the lights and cameras gravitated to Jill Barta, who had finished the game with a game-high 32 points and eight rebounds. She hid in the middle of her teammates as they celebrated their second consecutive West Coast Conference tournament title.
Gonzaga has seen plenty of Sydney Williams over the past four years. Granted, not nearly as much as the San Diego senior has seen of the Zags over the course of the past 22.