Gonzaga’s Mark Few whistled for first-half technical – and first technical since 2016 – in WCC Tournament title game

LAS VEGAS – Mark Few and Gonzaga have built plenty of streaks through the years, and many of them during the West Coast Conference Tournament at Orleans Arena.

One of the more obscure streaks came to an end Tuesday night during the first half of the Bulldogs’ 84-66 WCC championship game win over Saint Mary’s.

With 4:28 left in the half, Gonzaga forward Filip Petrusev was whistled for an offensive foul after pushing the Gaels’ Kyle Bowen while trying to establish position in the post. Few disagreed with the decision and vehemently argued his case to referee Randy McCall, who delivered a double-whammy to the Zags and whistled the coach for a technical foul.

You count Gonzaga’s WCC Tournament title game losses under Few on one hand and might be able to do the same for the number of times the longtime coach has lost his temper on the Bulldogs’ bench.

Few’s last technical foul was thought to come in 2016 during an 86-76 victory over Tennessee in Nashville.

“I wasn’t aware I had a streak,” Few said afterward, “so I didn’t really give it much thought.”

The team’s oldest player, senior forward Killian Tillie, was just a freshman the last time his coach was whistled for a technical.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen him (get a technical),” Tillie said. “But I wasn’t surprised. The refs reacted and made us react, so it kind of pushed us in a good way. Yeah, it was good.”

Jordan Ford stepped to the line to make two technical free throws and converted a driving layup to complete a four-point Saint Mary’s possession that gave the Gaels a five-point lead. They pushed the advantage to six points 1 minute late, but never led by more than that, and were outscored 53-29 the rest of the way.