Gonzaga’s WCC title hopes on the line in pivotal Santa Clara showdown

Saturday's game has major implications in the WCC standings

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs find themselves in unfamiliar territory heading into Saturday's road matchup against the Santa Clara Broncos.

Gonzaga (12-1) is currently a half-game behind Santa Clara (13-1) in the conference standings, after SCU took care of business at home against Seattle U on Wednesday in an 84-72 victory. And with Saint Mary's (11-2) lurking close behind in third place, this matchup at the Leavey Center will have major implications for the WCC as the season nears the finish line.

The Zags won the first matchup against the Broncos back on Jan. 8, 89-77, but Santa Clara has rattled off nine straight since then, and took over first place in the conference after the Zags stumbled at the Chiles Center against the Portland Pilots last Wednesday.

Now, the fate of the WCC will be heavily influenced by what happens on Saturday night in Santa Clara, in what is arguably the biggest regular-season home game in school history.

Should Gonzaga win

A win would not only move the Zags back into first place, but it would give them a crucial tiebreaker over Santa Clara. That could come into play if Gonzaga ends up dropping another game to close the season - like the finale against Saint Mary's - and if Santa Clara wins out. That would put both Gonzaga and Santa Clara at 18-2, with Saint Mary's one game back at 17-3. In that case, Gonzaga would get the No. 1 overall seed in the WCC Tournament thanks to the tiebreaker.

If Gonzaga beats Santa Clara and loses to Saint Mary's, and Saint Mary's beats Santa Clara - and all three teams win all of their other games - that would create a scenario where the Zags and Gaels are tied at 18-2 while the Broncos are 17-3.

With a regular-season tie and a split of the two conference matchups, seeding would then be determined by NET ranking. Gonzaga is currently No. 6 in the NET while Saint Mary's is No. 28, so the Zags would likely secure the No. 1 seed in this scenario.

Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Brian Michaelson (left) and head coach Mark Few (right). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Simply put, if Gonzaga wins on Saturday at Santa Clara and doesn't fall to any other league opponents (San Francisco, Pacific, and Portland), they will win the WCC regular season for the last time and earn the top seed in the conference tournament.

Should Gonzaga lose

If Gonzaga loses, Santa Clara would move to 14-1 while Gonzaga would drop to 12-2 and would likely be tied with Saint Mary's in the standings - assuming the Gaels take care of business on Saturday against fourth-place Pacific.

In that case, Gonzaga would be in real danger of finishing third in the WCC regular season. Not only would that be the program's lowest finish since 1997, but it would cost them the coveted triple-bye that the top two seeds get in the WCC Tournament, where they do not have to play until the semifinals.

Saint Mary's Gaels head coach Randy Bennett. | Photo by Erik Smith

Gonzaga would have to beat the Gaels in the regular season finale on Feb. 28 in Moraga, which would give them the tiebreaker over SMC and ensure they finish no worse than second place - again assuming they take care of business against the Dons, Tigers, and Pilots.

Gonzaga has dealt with high-pressure conference games before, securing clutch late-season wins at San Francisco and at Saint Mary's two years ago, while the Broncos are in unfamiliar territory. However, a desperate team at home is certainly not an ideal matchup for a Zags team that won't have star forward Braden Huff in the mix.

The game tips off at 7:30 PM PT on Feb. 14, and will be broadcast on ESPN.