DAVE BOLING

The last team to take the court at the West Coast Conference Tournament, second-seeded Gonzaga is set to take on third-seeded San Francisco in the semifinals at 8:39 p.m. at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The game will air on ESPN2.

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LAS VEGAS – For the first 8 minutes, ninth-seeded Pepperdine looked very much like the squad that pulled off a pair of upsets to make an improbable run to the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals.

LAS VEGAS – After four years, it's hard to poke many holes or identify too many cracks in Ryan Nembhard’s glimmering college basketball resume.

Even with so much talent returning, Gonzaga’s men finished second in conference play, and faced a critical challenge heading into the West Coast Conference basketball tournament. The Zags had been inconsistent during the regular season, at times performing below the massive expectations they shouldered. So it is today. So it was 25 years ago.

3-point accuracy often has been a telling factor this season – 37.1% in GU’s 23 wins, 30.2% in eight losses – and past successes and failures in the postseason.

San Francisco, a potential opponent for Washington State and Gonzaga at the West Coast Conference Tournament, could be without all-conference guard Marcus Williams as the Dons travel to Las Vegas to begin the postseason.

Washington State’s David Riley saw Gonzaga on both sides of a defensive turnaround that began taking shape in the middle of January after consecutive losses to Oregon State and Santa Clara.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few recently loaned out McCarthey Athletic Center to Northern Arizona’s basketball team during the Lumberjacks’ visit to Eastern Washington.

Gonzaga’s Braden Huff was named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic team.

After two big wins last week, Gonzaga's off the bubble.