Gonzaga Clinches Outright WCC Title, Defeats Pacific
By Josh Horton
Feb 27, 2014; Stockton, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Gary Bell, Jr. (5) dribbles the ball against the Pacific Tigers in the first half at Alex G. Spanos Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs clinched their 11th WCC title in 12 years tonight when they knocked off the Pacific Tigers 70-53.
The Bulldogs controlled the game by shooting 42.0 percent from the field compared to Pacific’s 30.9 percent and making eight more foul shots than the Tigers. Both teams were tied at 16 with nine minutes remaining in the first half, but the Bulldogs finished the half by going on a 24-7 run. At that point, the Bulldogs were in full control of the game and remained in control to end the game.
Gonzaga was led by Kevin Pangos, who emerged from his slump and scored 18 points. Przemek Karnowski was one point and one rebound short of recording a double-double, despite being in foul trouble most of the game and tweaking his ankle in the second half. David Stockton’s five assists led the Bulldogs. Drew Barham came off the bench and reached double-figures with 17 points.
Pacific was led by freshman T.J. Wallace, who scored nine points in the loss. Aaron Short led the Tigers in rebounds and assists respectively with nine and five. Short also chipped in six points coming off the bench.
Keys to the Game Checklist
Gonzaga
(Check) Have a short memory
The Bulldogs two previous losses did not look like they affected them too much tonight, as the Zags cruised to a 17 point win.
Pacific
(X) Defend the Perimeter
While the Bulldogs only shot 38.9 percent from beyond the arc, Pacific was burned from 3 at the most inopportune times, allowing Gonzaga to build on their lead in the later stages of the first half. Barham and Pangos combined to shoot 60 percent from 3 tonight.
Moving Forward
The Bulldogs are now officially the 1-seed in the West Coast Conference with the win. Gonzaga travels to Moraga next to play rival Saint Mary’s on Saturday. While the game has no seeding implications for the Zags, the Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s rivalry always makes the game important.
Pacific and Santa Clara are still tied for eighth place in the conference with losses from both teams tonight. It will be interesting to see how the bottom four seeds shake out with Saturday’s games. Santa Clara plays Pepperdine in Malibu.