This Week in Gonzaga History: Sam Dower’s Three

Can you believe January is almost over? Selection Sunday is just seven weeks away. But today is Monday and a new week is here, which means another edition of Gonzaga History. This week we look back at a couple game winning shots, one good, one horrible. We also re-live a couple overtime classics and a vintage Nigel Williams-Goss performance. Hop in the time machine and check out the week of January 27-February 2.

January 27, 2011 – Mickey McConnell Game Winner

Not sure I really need to write an excerpt on this game. McConnell scored 10 of the Gaels’ final 11 points, including the game-winner on Gonzaga’s home floor. It was only the second WCC home loss in McCarthey Athletic Center history and the first three game WCC losing streak since 1997.

January 28, 2017 – Gonzaga defeats Pepperdine, moves to number one

Gonzaga demolished the Waves, 96-49. Kansas and Villanova both lost earlier in the week, which means Gonzaga moved up from number three into the top spot for the second time in school history. Their 22-0 record was the final unbeaten in college basketball and remained that way until the BYU stunner on senior night.

January 29, 2014 – Sam Dower Game Winner at Santa Clara

By no means was this a pretty game. Both teams shot under 36 percent, the pace was slow, and there were 26 turnovers. But in the end, it was Sam Dower who drained a game-winning three with a second to go on a completely broken play that former Broncos coach Kerry Keating still laughs at because it was so absurd. Fun stat: This was one of two games in Kevin Pangos’ career in which he attempted zero threes.

January 30, 2010 – Gonzaga loses at USF in OT

Here’s a blast from the past: Dior Lowhorn hit the game-tying three with under 10 seconds remaining after Gonzaga inexplicably saved the ball under their own basket. He hit two more threes in overtime to upset #13 Gonzaga, 81-77. Lowhorn was shooting 8-for-47 on the season coming into the game and went 5-for-7 that night. Angelo Caloiaro hit three triples as well, including the game-clincher with 30 seconds to go in overtime. This game began the trio of gut-wrenching losses on The Hilltop.

January 31, 2007 – Gonzaga beats Stanford in Double OT

Jeremy Pargo scored 11 of his career-high 23 points in the second overtime to lift Gonzaga to a 90-86 double overtime road victory over the Stanford Cardinal. Stanford was fresh off their upset of #5 UCLA and got a late three from Anthony Goods to send the game to a second overtime. But Pargo and Derek Raivio put an end to their hopes and gave Gonzaga their second win over Stanford in as many years. Brook Lopez had 20 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks in the game, though.

February 2, 2008 – Gonzaga beats Santa Clara in Double Overtime

Steven Gray was fouled with 0.3 seconds left and drained two free throws to send the game into overtime. Santa Clara’s Andrew Zimmerman missed a potential game-winner in the first overtime and Austin Daye took over in the second. Daye scored 13 of his career-high 22 in the overtime periods, including the go-ahead basket, as Gonzaga survived the Broncos upset bid on the road, 87-82. Santa Clara led by seven with four minutes remaining and had a chance to ice the game with free throws, but missed two foul shots with 15 seconds to go, allowing Gonzaga to tie it and send the game to overtime. Brody Angley had a career-high 28 for Santa Clara and John Bryant had 22.

February 2, 2017 – Nigel Williams-Goss owns Provo

In their first game as the newly cemented number one team in the country, Gonzaga received 33 points from Nigel Williams-Goss, including a stretch of 11-straight points in the second half to beat BYU in Provo, 85-75. Goss also finished with seven rebounds and four assists. The 23^rd straight win set a record for most consecutive wins in program history and they extended their absurd streak to 264 minutes and 31 seconds without trailing in a game.