Gonzaga Holds Off South Carolina, Will Play for NCAA Championship on Monday
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) --The Gonzaga Bulldogs are
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) --The Gonzaga Bulldogs are
By DENNIS CHAMBERS
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The final stage of this college basketball season is bringing in a slew of firsts for most of those involved.
This edition of the Final Four features just one program with championship head coaching experience. That distinction belongs to blue-blood North Carolina and their lead man Roy Williams. Through his time at Chapel Hill, and previously at Kansas, Williams has made it to nine different Final Fours, winning championships in 2005 and 2009.
After that, though, Mark Few, Frank Martin, and Dana Altman combine for a whopping zero coaching appearances during college basketball’s final two contests. In fact, the programs they represent — Gonzaga, South Carolina, and Oregon, respectively — have just one Final Four appearance between them, Oregon’s 1939 championship during the inaugural NCAA event. In comparison, this latest trip marks the 20th time North Carolina has been one of the final four teams remaining.
By EDDIE PELLS (AP) -- Villanova took the
Kansas, Villanova, North Carolina and Gonzaga remain
By JOHN MARSHALL
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Top-ranked Gonzaga had an undefeated regular season in its sights, facing a 20-point underdog in the final game at The Kennel.
Instead of racing toward history, the Zags fell flat, losing 79-71 to Brigham Young on Saturday night. The undefeated season is history. So is Gonzaga’s No. 1 ranking, possibly its No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, too.
Now the Zags face the same question every other previously undefeated team gets asked after its first loss: Will this help them in the long run?
“I don’t know,” Gonzaga senior center Przemek Karnowski said after his final home game. “We’ll have to see what happens.”
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Top-ranked Gonzaga’s quest to go undefeated this season ended under a barrage of baskets by BYU’s Eric Mika on Saturday night.
Mika had 29 points and 11 rebounds, and BYU upset Gonzaga 79-71. It was the Cougars’ first victory ever over a No. 1 team, after four losses, and spoiled the Bulldogs’ perfect record in their last regular season game.
The sophomore center made 10 of 14 shots from the floor and 9 of 13 free throws. His biggest basket put BYU ahead 73-71 with a minute left in the game.
Gonzaga lost the ball on its next two possessions, and then Corbin Kaufusi had a putback and Mika hit two free throws to put the game out of reach.
