No. 1 Gonzaga entered Monday night’s West Coast Conference semifinal game 24-0. To move on to the WCC championship they would have to take care of rival St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s came into the game 14-8 on the season.
Gonzaga has looked incredible all season, leading all D1 teams in points, field goal percentage, and point differential. If St. Mary’s wanted to upset their rival, they would need to slow down a juggernaut that no one has been able to stop yet.
First half
The first half went just how Gonzaga wanted it to. They jumped all over the Gaels from St. Mary’s and didn’t let up. Gonzaga big man Drew Timme would score 15 points in the first half and only missed one of his field goals (7-8). Timme also grabbed 4 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. As a team, Gonzaga only missed 10 shots in the first half, 18-28 or 64.3% from the field.
St. Mary’s couldn’t keep up with their rival’s high-powered offense. The Gaels made only 37.5% of their first-half shots. They were also outrebounded, recording only 13 rebounds to Gonzaga’s 20. St. Mary’s Tommy Kuhse was their leading scorer with 8 in the first half. All of this led to Gonzaga holding a 44-26 lead at the half.
Second half
If St. Mary’s wanted to move on to the WCC championship game and upset the No.1 undefeated Zags, they would need a movie-like comeback. Unfortunately, that would not happen. The second half saw more of the same from the first; dominance from Gonzaga. Some teams might take their foot off the gas after being up 18 at the half, not Gonzaga. They would extend their lead to as much as 30 at one point in the second half.
Drew Timme only scored 3 points in the second, finishing the game with 18. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and recorded 4 assists. Every Gonzaga starter scored in double digits on Monday night. St. Mary’s was led by Logan Johnson’s 15 points.
Gonzaga’s hot shooting from the first half calmed down a bit in the second. They would finish the game, making 53.2% of their field goal attempts. St. Mary’s would finish the game shooting 36.1% and making just 2 of 20 attempts from the three-point line.
After the win over St. Mary’s, Gonzaga will advance to the WCC Championship game, where they will face BYU.
