Round 2: Gonzaga trying to even score against first-place Saint Mary’s
Saint Mary’s guard Augustas Marciulionis drives against Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle during the first half of a Feb. 1 West Coast Conference game in Moraga, Calif. (TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
It’s round two for Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s with all the usual West Coast Conference and NCAA Tournament implications and an extra helping of emotion on top, courtesy of GU’s Senior Night.
Not to mention the potential historical significance.
Saint Mary’s (24-4, 14-1 WCC) has been in the driver’s seat since rallying for a 62-58 home win over the Zags on Feb. 1. A Gaels win Saturday at the McCarthey Athletic Center would clinch two consecutive outright regular-season championships for the first time in program history.
Gonzaga (21-7, 12-3) has been the conference kingpin for roughly three decades and it hasn’t gone two seasons without at least a share of one title since Pepperdine’s three-year championship run from 1991-93. The Zags haven’t lost four WCC games since a 10-4 season in 1997-98.
Gonzaga needs a win to trim the Gaels’ lead to one game and keep its title hopes alive. GU, which has won or shared 21 of the past 23 titles, is on the road to face fourth-place Santa Clara and third-place San Francisco next week. The Gaels visit sixth-place Loyola Marymount and entertain fifth-place Oregon State, opponents they’ve defeated by a combined 39 points.
“We always look forward to playing this game,” Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett said. “It’s a high-level game. Up there, you better really bring a good effort and a good performance. You can’t roll up there and have a ‘C’ game. There’s always a lot on this game. There is again this year.”
The last thing the Zags want to see is Saint Mary’s spoiling Senior Night and celebrating a WCC title on their home court. GU lists six seniors/grad students on its roster, including the starting five of Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Khalif Battle, Ben Gregg and Graham Ike. Ike and Michael Ajayi have an additional year of eligibility if they decide to return.
“Rebounding is the big focus, especially on possessions when we get stops,” Ike said after Wednesday’s 84-63 win over Washington State. “Execute on the offensive end. It’s probably going to be an emotional night. We just have to continue to keep the things that we cherish in hand, trying to put ourselves in the best position to win the league. That’s the goal, win the game.”
Asked the keys for Saturday as he was exiting Thursday’s postgame media session, Gonzaga coach Mark Few said, “We just have to compete and win.”
The Zags missed a golden opportunity in the first meeting. After digging out of a 14-point first-half deficit, Gonzaga led 49-45 just inside the 10-minute mark but scored only nine points the rest of the way and was outplayed in crunch time.
Gonzaga is No. 10 in the NET rankings, but it has dropped its past five Quad 1 games after handling Baylor and San Diego State in November.
The Gaels, No. 21 in the NET, are 3-2 in Quad 1. They’ve won three of the past four in the series, but Gonzaga is 26-8 in the past 34. Few has a 57-16 record against the Gaels.
“People always say, ‘Hey, you’ve got to take the next jump.’ What is the next jump?” Bennett said. “One of the things is being able to do it year in and year out. That’s what Gonzaga’s done. Nobody’s done it as long as they have. Nobody. We did it last year. We were able to get in the NCAA Tournament, we were able to win the league. That’s what we’re trying to do this year.
“And then the other step you can make if you get in the tournament is to win a game and then games. But you don’t even get a crack at that if you don’t get in. (Winning the WCC) would be a small step, but it’s a huge step.”
The Gaels rely on their defense (fifth nationally at 60.7 points allowed per game), rebounding (No. 3 nationally at plus 9.6) and a balanced offense paced by guard Augustas Marciulionis (14.4 points, 6.2 assists), forward Paulius Murauskas (13.0 points, 8.3 rebounds) and center Mitchell Saxen (10.4 points, 7.9 boards).
If the Zags can’t catch Saint Mary’s in the standings, their next objective would be finishing second and earning a bye into the WCC Tournament semifinals. Gonzaga is a half-game ahead of San Francisco (22-7, 12-4). The Dons lost to GU 88-77 on Feb. 13 but knocked off Saint Mary’s 65-64 earlier this month.