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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s: 3 keys to the Bulldogs’ 74-56 win

The No. 4 Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the Saint Mary’s Gaels 74-56 on Tuesday at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas in win the WCC tournament championship. Here are the three keys to the Zags’ win:

Key moment

Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss flexes his muscles after being fouled by Saint Mary’s in their WCC title game, March 7,2017, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss flexes his muscles after being fouled by Saint Mary’s in their WCC title game, March 7,2017, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review) Buy this photo

Saint Mary’s narrowed its deficit to seven points with six minutes remaining, motivating a Zags counterattack. Gonzaga went on a 10-0 run that was fueled by Nigel Williams-Goss’ two steals and his three-point play after drawing a foul at the rim. Silas Melson closed out the run with another drive that sent him to the line. The run extended Gonzaga’s lead to 65-48.

Offensive player of the year

Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) chases a loose ball during the first half of a WCC title game, Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) chases a loose ball during the first half of a WCC title game, Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review) Buy this photo

Williams-Goss scored a game-high 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting and made all 10 of his free throws. The guard also assisted on six buckets.

Defensive player of the year

Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss holds a piece of the net aloft after the Zags defeated Saint Marys in their WCC title game, March 7,2017, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss holds a piece of the net aloft after the Zags defeated Saint Marys in their WCC title game, March 7,2017, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review) Buy this photo

Williams-Goss had a game-high six steals. He pulled down six defensive rebounds and kept pressure on the Gaels’ Emmett Naar, the WCC assists leader, holding him to three assists and nine points.