Gonzaga slips by San Francisco, advances to WCC title
by Zach Bell on Mar 6, 2011 10:43 PM PST
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As we've said for a majority of the season, tonight's game was nowhere near pretty but it got the job done. Gonzaga survived an upset-minded San Francisco team by a score of 71-67. Overall it was a pretty wild and wacky game that at some points you were convinced the Zags were about to throttle the Dons and other times you were wondering if this team was even worthy of playing in March. In the end, the Zags did enough to advance to the finals where they will play Saint Mary's for the third time this season.
The story of the game (and for the past month or so) was Marquise Carter. At some point, when no one was looking, Marquise transformed himself from the lost guy on the court to possibly Gonzaga's most indispensable. Carter once again logged a game high 38 minutes, shot 4-9 from the floor, went 10-12 from the line, and had three steals. He's become extraordinarily reliable and it has become crystal clear that when the game is in the balance, the offense is going to go through him. Carter sank eight free throws in the final minute of the game and had a huge steal near the end to seal things up for the Zags. I can't say I have ever seen such a remarkable in-season transformation as the one Marquise is currently pulling off.
for more on tonight's game read on after the jump....
While Marquise stepped up in the clutch, this game was largely frustrating to watch. For me, it boils down to the fact that this team has shown little ability to drive the dagger into a team early in games. Sure they can dominate the cupcakes but this was a game where Gonzaga had a number of double-digit leads and could not simply finish the Dons. A lot of it is execution by the five on the court but I still just don't understand the almost forced substitution patterns. I try to understand the late game situations but I don't understand why Mike Hart needs to enter the game when Gonzaga is up by ten or more points. Against any team, particularly one of inferior talent, it is imperative that you seize the momentum and end the game as early as possible. I never felt like Gonzaga was sticking with what worked. It has been a problem all season and tomorrow, with plenty on the line, the Zags are going to have to seize the momentum when it comes along because that window of opportunity will be much smaller against the Gaels.
The officiating was pretty horrid both ways but that is par for the course in this conference. Ticky tack fouls are going to get called in this league but I thought Meech and Stockton both played very physical defense and were able to curtail their fouls when they had to late. Holding USF's backcourt trio of Green, Williams, and Doolin to 10-23 from the floor is no small feat and it was great to see perimeter defense not be a defining factor in this one.
In case you missed ESPN2 hyping at after and before every commercial break, next up is round three of Saint Mary's-Gonzaga. Both games this season have been absolute classics but there's no doubt the Zags have to come out and play a much more complete game than what we saw tonight. Tip off of that one is at 6 PM on ESPN.
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My current comp background is of Spike holding up his finger... #1 with the MAC in background
Might consider changing it to this after tonigh’ts game too though.
Its gonna be gLoRiOUS!!~
It was an ugly win, but at least it was a win
As Zach mentioned, Carter was once again great. Stockton played well as did a number of players. Some didn’t play so well, but they can make up for it tomorrow. Now let’s focus on beating the Gaels. Go Zags!
Isn't the championship game on ESPN - not 2?
me at Memphis game – I made the nooze
I will cheer my ass off but we MUST play our best to win it! Less foul trouble + more better offense.
Dude...wake up and get excited fer cryin out loud
You look 1/2 asleep in that pic! We can’t hear you! haha
Its gonna be gLoRiOUS!!~
MVP goes to
whoever has the best game tomorrow!
99% lock
for both Gonzaga and St. Mary’s.
I think the only thing that would keep either from the dance would be an embarrasing loss by more than 20 points from either team.
playing for a 9-12 seed
a 3 or even a 4 seed team would be publically pissed off at the NCAA’s if they have to face Gonzaga in the 1st round.
I agree
If the Zags win tonight they might play into a 9 seed or a loss might push them to a 12 seed as a play in game. I don’t want to put our fait into the hands of the commity. Win tonight and no worrying, you simply play whoever with a chance to advance!
by suzag on Mar 7, 2011 9:46 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
we are in the 7-11 range
depends on what other teams do and how the game goes tonight. Call me crazy but we seem to get overseeded sometimes. We may actually be deserving of a 7 seed contrary to all the negativity ’round here all season.
Welcome to the Sound Pound...
Will be very interesting to see what seed we get
But I would much rather get an 11 than an 8-10 seed purely for matchup’s sake. If we win tonight, I think it bumps us up to that 8-10 range, being as Joe already has us in as a 10 after last night’s win.
8-9 are horrible, I would take an 11 over any other seed that we could legitimately expect to get
Joe also has us matching against BYU in the second round. That is one thing that I would take. I would love give them a smack down to get this rivalry off on the right foot.
Never thought of that
but that would be Awesome, Baby!!!!
Hart is on the rise
Didn’t I tell you some time ago that Hart was going to be a bigger part of things than you might have anticipated?
Hart needs to play more to gain confidence and begin to assert himself. Trust me, he can shoot the ball if that is what is needed. Not too different than the Carter situation a few weeks back.
Few is still sending a message to all concerned. D-up or ride the pine.
Once again our D was far from stellar. We were lucky to survive the ticky-tack calls. Indeed there were some impressive ‘phantom’ calls. Both teams have a right to be upset with some of the officiating.
That said, SF appeared to be pulling out every dirty trick in the book. I like this kind of stuff when well executed. Trouble was, some of what they were selling to the Refs was far from well done — then again the Refs were buying it, so who am I to criticize their drama skills. I dunno, when you have to start picking on Stocks to try and win a game, . . . well that does say something about your talent — now doesn’t it?
SF has some nice players — they will be tough next year. This was a good win / good test for us. Hope it didn’t take too much out of the team. I really want to see them beat St. Mary’s — would make my whole week.
Finally, during the first few weeks of the season, did any of you think we might be worried about Stocks getting in foul trouble? The little guy has become a very big player as of late.
mjc
finger nail biting win
goodson, stockton,carter…they all played well. hart had his moments. foul trouble hurt us and allowed the Dons to get back in the game. Dower came back down to earth and was a non factor,really wanted to see him explode. I can see Grey having a great game tonite..he’s due! lets get our game faces on…hit the court and take care of buisness!…..GO ZAGS!!!!
stockton, harris, rob
apparently your “d-up or ride the pine doesn’t apply to them” Stockton still can’t handle pressure and late game situations. And playing Hart is a mystery to many of us? Not bying your Hart will be a factor crap. He had one nice still that made up for DS’s two crucial turnovers down the stretch. Mark Few is still way off with his rotations, I will give few credit though, he sure knows how disrupt the flow of the game!
No D is the problem
I agree that Harris in particular and Sacre in spots were not playing the kind of D we need. Hart can only replace one player at a time.
Where the bigs are concerned. Who is the defensive stopper? . . .
Sometimes you ‘best’ isn’t even ‘good’.
mjc
"Hart is on the rise".... Good call, quidveritas
Just wondering though, why is he (Hart) NOT taking open shots?
I can’t imagine him being such a poor shooter that the coaching staff would not allow him to shoot when he is open.
Meech was in the same dilemma until the last few games. Now he seems to shoot without being so tenative and as a result he is playing much better and is a much more effective point guard.
I have expressed my opinion about David Stockton since the beginning of the season. I said early on that he would make a major impact at Gonzaga before his career was up. Not many people have shared my prediction. As it turns out, I was right. Yes he makes mistakes but he helps this team much more than he hurts them. And besides, there are plenty of mistakes to go around. He will only get better. He is alot of fun to watch. The kid is a continous highlight film! Not bad for a walk on freshman.
I love Keitas body language while not playing. Great attitude and he deserves my respect.
It appears to me that Hart is the 'Enforcer'.
Few has stated publicly that Hart is the best defender on the team — positions 1-5.
His bio states: Earned two varsity letters at Jesuit High in Portland. Second-team All-Metro League selection as a junior. Voted team captain, most valuable player and best defender by high school teammates.
I couldn’t find any stats on him from high school but I suspect he scored a little in high school given his bio.
Not every player on the floor is there to score. As a rule you want your best shooter taking most if not all of the shots. I think something you may want to look for is how well Hart handles the ball. Did he have any turn-overs? (on this team that’s always a big concern). Did he rebound? Did he play solid D? I’d say he contributes sufficiently to be on the floor.
I’ve said all along, this team has all the offense it needs. What it lacks is consistent defense. Opponents FG percentage is often the statistic that will determine if we win or lose.
mjc
The ICE MAN
Kudos to Marquise Carter for calmly making free throws under pressure! Zags’ free throw shooting has greatly improved over last year, and you cannot win games consistently if you can’t make foul shots. Hopefully Dower, and everyone else for that matter, is saving his “A” game for tonight.
It was an ugly game
I’m not defending the way this team played last night because honestly at times it was atrocious. They had a 10 point lead at half and I said to myself, “hey this could be a nice blowout and we could rest the starters.” We’ll that was far from the case. The one thing that I will say was that it was very hard for this team or even the Dons to get into any sort of flow and heat up with all the fouls called in the second half. The refs took the life out of the game. It was one of the worst games I have seen in a long time, which is par for the course with the WCC. All ball block for KO that is a foul, Steven holding his ground on D, yet called for a push. I think the fouls for both teams combined was extremely high even for a WCC officiated game. That being said let’s take it to the Gaels and beat them with a tough interior play. Get Rob jones out early with fouls and keep Mickey to low numbers like last night.
LET’S GO ZAGS!
It’s crunch time….
I ended up watching the whole game last night…almost midnight CST. Messed up getting into my computer this morning…..I think it’s lack of sleep from staying up too late.
After seeing the Zags dismantle USF in the first half, I really thought we’d blow them out in the second half! Let’s give a lot of credit to the Dons, who came out with spirit and determination in the second half and played very well. They are a good team and will be a force next year.
I don’t like to complain about referees, although, I thought the outcome of this game was being dictated by the referees instead of the players. There was a bunch of ticky-tack and touch fouls that seemed to drag this game down and frustrate the players. I’m hoping we’ll see a more balanced called game tonight against St. Mary’s. I really believe our players are better than St. Mary’s, and, in an evenly called game, I believe we will win.
A couple of Zags had some sub-par games last night, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen two nights in a row. I was certainly impressed last night with Marquise Carter, who really played under control and always seemed to be making the correct play. He was just awesome at the end of the game! Let’s also give a lot of credit to both David Stockton and Meech Goodson, both of whom played very well. David is getting more and more confident out there, although he can become careless with the ball sometimes. If he were to treasure each possession, that young man will be tough to get out the game. It also seems to me that Meech has elevated his game as David Stockton has played better. Meech played an excellent game last night on both ends of the court. I was really impressed with all 3 of those players!
This is a big game tonight! I believe that if we win….we will get a very good seed by the selection committee and our confidence will be extremely high going into the NCAA tournament. Let’s go Zags…..it’s crunch time!
Sacre
As everyone has said Stockton, Carter, and Goodson played great. I thought Sacre really did not play good defense. USF bigs could score too easily for how good they are – Sacre was also late getting back sometimes. I also don’t really understand why they only go to Sacre at the end of the game – he really does not shoot a high percentage. It’s almost like everyone was afraid or unwilling or told not to shoot from outside. I remember Hart being pretty good from outside during garbage time last year but it’s pretty clear he will not shoot this year. When Hart and Goodson are on the floor together that really limits the offensigve flow. All that being said I think our matchup with St. Mary’s is much better for us in terms of our inside play – just have to stop the drive and kick and the 3 pointers.
I'm more than happy to say
I was wrong about Carter. He is not a bust, and is in fact a big part of this team. That charge he took was beastly, and his steals were crucial. He’s also shown himself to be a clutch free throw shooter.
I’m glad to see this team starting to peak, KO was also in good form last night. If they keep this up, they may win a game or two in the tournament.
Good On You, CLT...for owning up.
I have total respect for someone who can say they had it wrong.
Carter has come up big for us.
Its been quite a gigsaw puzzle for Mark Few and staff top figure out.
Who could have guess that?
They deserve credit and they sure have mine.
all games will be tough from here on out.
Every team is playing for their lives. You saw that with USF last night. Tonight will be a battle no doubt. Key will be to feed the post. Rob, E, And Sam all need at least 8 shots each. Make the D collaps and the outside shots will open up. SMC have no answer for our bigs. Keep feeding the post and make their bigs play D. They will get in foul trouble And just get worn out. Go Zags take home the title!
by suzag on Mar 7, 2011 9:58 AM PST via mobile reply actions
So much for our streak
according to ESPN we were 2nd in the WCC and SMC was 1st. I thought we tied.. oh wait.. WE DID. ESPN’s love for SMC is unstoppable.
Welcome to the Sound Pound...
by SoundPound on Mar 7, 2011 10:42 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Only insecure fans complain about coverage.
And, they are the #1 seed in the conf. tournament. Worry less about ESPN and more about establishing some inside game t knight.
We are second in the WCC in terms of the WCC Tournament
That is simply a truth.
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
Round III
Marquise Carter is the guy whose hands we want the ball in if we’re about to be fouled at the end of the game. But whose hands do we want the ball in when we desperately need a field goal at the end of the game? What play will we run for that player to get him an open shot?
Rob's Defense
Rob’s defense last night scared me, especially in the first half. USF’s big man spun right past him THREE times before Rob got rolling.
Thankfully that shouldn’t be a huge problem tonight with the Gaels’ lack of inside game.
I see Rob and Sam destroying SMC on the posts, and again, it’s going to be up to our perimeter D to lock down McConnell and Dellevadova as much as possible.
"Gonzaga knows how to party...Jesu-WHAT!"
Turgid but.....
It’s a pretty turgid offense without Gray scoring, but who is to argue with a series of ugly wins. Not sure what is going on—-perhaps Steven is sending a message to NBA scouts that he is much more than a shooter. But his low numbers of late, will make scouts look the other way. Steven is capable of banging the ball inside but of late the bigs aren’t moving much without the ball. Kelly just stands around on the perimeter waiting for Godot while Elias just disappears for long intervals, lacking even a touch on many posessions.
Dower is an intermittent scoring machine but he disappears when it comes to rebounding.
One game left to rectify a season of problems. Whup those Gaels.
Probably the best FT Shooting Zags team
that I can remember, last season was the worst, we have had better individual FT shooters before, but as an entire squad [including Mr. Goodson this year,, he improved more than I ever expected), the best/most 75-85% FT shooters from all positions
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