ZAGS 360: Championship Week and the Bulldogs are the WCC Champions
Teresa Powe
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We are the WCC champions, but it wasn’t easy. A comeback from the San Francisco Dons and the replay of the last game of the regular season with St. Mary’s Gaels. Let’s take a look at how they became champions…
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are once again the WCC Champions. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything; these two games were heart-stopping to watch. Let’s hope that Coach Mark Few can get them in shape to make it to the NCAA Finals and the win they all deserve.
Gonzaga Bulldogs 81 vs. San Francisco Dons 71
The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the San Francisco Dons in the WCC semifinals on Monday, 3/7. At one point, the Zags led by 24 points. But, as you can see, they won by ten. The Championship game is Tuesday night, 3/8. After that, they play St. Mary’s again. After that, it’s time for the NCAA tourney, and we have to win it all this season. So…
First off, guys were missing easy rim shots. They also were not taking care of the ball. Now, having said that, let’s move on. On the other hand, Chet Holmgren‘s defense was tight! The Dons could not breathe in that first half. Nolan Hickman did a block on Jamaree Boyea that turned into an offensive foul on Boyea!
Another thing I saw was Holmgren bringing the ball up. He takes the ball from one end to the other and scores most of the time. But this is championship basketball now. So let the guards bring the ball up. The Zags have three guards on the court all the time.
Then there was the Anton Watson minor scuffle with Khalil Shabazz. All I saw was Watson standing over him like he was Allen Iverson. They both received technicals, and when the timeout was over, they both gave each other a dap, and it was over. Champ Week basketball!
Halftime, both teams came out swinging. Coach Mark Few was visibly upset with the Bulldogs’ ball handling. Someone is going to stay after school and practice. Poor ball handling and fouls by the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ bigs won’t do for the tournament. Few visibly upset.
The Dons cut the lead at one time to eight. Khalil Shabazz led the Dons as they tried to come back and win.
Drew Timme led the Bulldogs in scoring with 22 points. He also had four rebounds and four assists. Andrew Nembhard had 17 points and nine assists. Next was Chet Holmgren, with 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and six blocks. Off the bench, Anton Watson had eight points and ten rebounds. Rasir Bolton and Julian Strawther were very quiet…
Gonzaga Bulldogs 82 St. Mary’s Gaels 69
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the WCC Champions! It was a hard-fought game, but they came out victorious. Chet Holmgren had probably his worse game as a Zag, scoring only eight points and pulling down eight rebounds, only one of which was offensive. He also had two steals and only one block! St. Mary’s might have the Bulldogs’ number, but they could not defeat them this time. Of course, the Bulldogs might have slipped then; fool me once, you know.
ESPN says, “these Zags are deep, dangerous and may be poised for another extended March run.”
Absolutely they are. These two teams have had a rivalry for years. But this is the 25th WCC Championship for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, and I believe not their last. Why? Mark Few. The Zags looked very shaky at one point during the game, and their coach let them know at times that he didn’t like it. The intensity on his face. I hope that intensity has this team in the gym focusing on their ball-handling and free throws.
Back to this game. The guards were the stars on this night. Andrew Nembhard was proclaimed the Player of the Game. He had 19 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Rasir Bolton was next with 18 points and two rebounds. Julian Strawther had 16 points and two rebounds. Drew Timme had ten points and four rebounds. Our bigs had a hard time, but it’s an easy fix. It’s called practice, and I’m sure Coach Few will make sure of that!
Logan Johnson led the Gaels with 21 points, and Tommy Kuhse had 15. Until next year guys!
Ready to go ? pic.twitter.com/nhLUnLywVd
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) March 14, 2022
What’s next?
What’s next is the NCAA Championship and being number one overall in the nation. On Thursday, 3/17, the Bulldogs will play Georgia State in the tournament’s first round.
The 16-seed Georgia State Panthers are the Bulldogs’ first opponents. The Panthers’ “Corey Allen (14.7 ppg) and his teammates have been on a wild run over the past six weeks.” These six weeks got them to the tournament.
I hope that the Gonzaga Bulldogs do not take one team they face for granted. Let’s do this! Let’s get this Championship!
Related Story: Zags are #1 overall seed for March Madness
Zags Nation, let’s send our guys all the positive energy we can muster. Until next week let’s stay safe and healthy out there!