Large gathering of former Gonzaga players watches Bulldogs beat Santa Clara

Gonzaga welcomed a crew of former players to the McCarthey Athletic Center on Saturday when the Bulldogs downed the Santa Clara Broncos 101-52.

The team reserved seats in the lower section across from the Gonzaga bench for 26 former players and their families in an annual gathering of Gonzaga alumni. The gathering is normally scheduled for a game during the winter break when the students are gone and there are extra seats to fill.

“It’s a great way to revisit with old friends,” said ex-Zag Brad Pinney, who played from 1988-90. Pinney was joined by a few former teammates, including Paul Verret and Jim McPhee.

Also in the stands were Derek Raivio, who was named the West Coast Conference co-player of the year in 2007, and Scott Snider, who helped the Zags to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1995. Sitting close by was Jeff Brown, who was on the team that made its first postseason appearance at the 1994 National Invitation Tournament.

Bob Hunt was amongst the oldest former players at the game on Saturday. In the early 1960s, Hunt played alongside all-time leading scorer Frank Burgess, who’s No. 44 has been retired by Gonzaga.