Recap: Gonzaga wins WCC championship on backs of guard trio

Bolton, Nembhard and Strawther got the offensive pace going after Saint Mary's closed the score, which went on to earn Gonzaga an automatic tournament bid

Gonzaga really cashed out in Sin City on Tuesday. A few hours after the university’s women’s team punched its ticket to the NCAA tournament after pulling off an upset win against top seeded BYU, the men’s team followed suit by winning its ninth West Coast Conference championship in the last 10 years with a 82-69 victory over Saint Mary’s.

The win didn’t come easy against the Gaels, the only team in the WCC to beat the Zags all season. The No. 17 team in the country beat the Zags 10 days ago in Moraga, California using a formula of containing GU’s two All-WCC bigs and limiting guard Andrew Nembhard’s passing game. On Tuesday, GU was able to break through that formula and pull out a win to most likely remain the No. 1 team in the country.

“That’s a great high level win for our guys, I can’t tell you how impressed we are with Saint Mary’s with just how solid they are, how tough they are and how disciplined they are especially on the defensive end,” GU Head Coach Mark Few said. “Everything we’re able to get off of them is hard earned which is what makes this one so sweet.”

On Tuesday, the Gael's formula still appeared effective after they jumped on an early lead and held the Zags scoreless for the game’s first three minutes. GU slowly got its offense going and took the lead with 11:20 left to go in the half after sophomore guard and Las Vegas native Julian Strawther knocked down a three to get his team up 14-12.

Not unlike the last time these two nationally ranked sides faced off, the onus for scoring was put on the Zags three starting guards between Strawther, Nembhard and transfer Rasir Bolton. In the first half, which saw the Zags premiere scorers in Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren combine for four points, Strawther stepped up to drop 13 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting effort from beyond the arc.

Despite those low numbers from GU’s bigs, the Zags still led at the half 38-28; a substantial change up from when the Gaels held them to 21 points in the final regular season game’s first 20 minutes. Throughout the season, SMC averaged 65.6 possessions per 40 minutes, which ranks 307 in all of college basketball as a team that features a top 10 adjusted defense according to Kenpom. That play style runs directly counter to the way GU operates as the No. 2 adjusted offense in the nation and a team that averages the sixth most possessions per game at 74.

With GU’s dual bigs neutralized, SMC guards Logan Johnson, Tommy Kuhse and Alex Ducas carried a lot of defensive responsibility as the onus for GU’s scoring would be once again put on the backs of their three guards.

“[Gonzaga’s] not a two trick pony, they can get you in a lot of ways; Those guards have gotten better, Nembhard is a really good player, Bolton can score and Strawther has really improved and those are the guys who have hurt us,” SMC Head Coach Randy Bennett said postgame. “We did not do a good job there but give those guys credit because those guys are good players.”

SMC’s backcourt was effective in the opening portion of the second half with Kuhse and Johnson interrupting GU’s passing lanes and getting points in transition. With eight minutes remaining, Kuhse knocked down a three and then Johnson drove to scoop a tough lay up and make it a five point game before soon bringing it down to a one possession game. Kuhse ended the game with 16 points while Johnson had a game-high 21.

At that point, it was time for the Zags to either return fire or face defeat.

That’s when the shooting flip switched on for Bolton and Nembhard, who had been quiet scoring after putting up seven of GU’s first nine points in the game.

“Offensively, we played with a lot more purpose, we moved the ball and played with more pace which led to easier shots for [all three of] us,” Nembhard said.

They traded tough looks with SMC guards for a stretch while the score stayed close, but then a tough three from Bolton followed by an and-one bucket on the next possession brought GU’s advantage up to 10. He ended the championship with 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting.

The Zags held that lead thanks in large part to Nembhard, who scored 13 second half points and had seven assists in the game. His performance to help fend off the Gaels after 17 points and nine assists the night before awarded him WCC player of the tournament.

The Zags now just await Selection Sunday to see where and when they’ll be playing the following week as the NCAA tournament tips off.