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The Bulldogs Gonzaga laid an egg and conceded a spot at the NCAA tournament at St. Mary's after a terrible 60-47 loss to the WCC championship game.
Although they were eviscerated in Spokane and they faded home, the Gaels were completely up, allowing them to defeat their rival and crush the bubble of the tournament. Gonzaga, meanwhile, looked to compete in his first training of the season rather than his 33rd match of a great season. That's why they play games, I suppose.
Brandon Clarke (16 points) and Josh Perkins (10 points) were the only Zags to score double digits. Jordan Ford dominated all scorers with 17 points, while Jordan Hunter scored a double-double and proved to be a headache throughout the match for Gonzaga.
Gonzaga looked nothing like the best attack of the nation in the first half, as he struggled to part with the defense of Saint Mary's after a quick start to a 9-2 win that did not indicate half of the match to come. The perimeter of shooting was quite mediocre, ranging from 1 to 7 in the first period arc, and the usually fluid offense seemed to be stuck in the mud. Tanner Krebs of SMC scored 11 of 13 points to give the Gaels a base in the game and a lead they will not give up.
The first 20 minutes proved slow and difficult as neither team had more than two possession passes over the other for most of the half. That was exactly what Saint Mary's had hoped for, and the Zags scratched their heads and tried to force the high ball they clearly preferred to play.
Things did not improve for the Bulldogs in the second half, as they continued to allow SMC to dictate terms of engagement. The most disturbing was that Norvell and Hachimura could not assert themselves in the action. Hachimura was absent in the second half (all the match, really) and Norvell struggled to make a positive contribution either side of the match, which forced him to support more.
Gonzaga did not try to squeeze or speed up Saint Mary's tempo until the final six minutes of the match, but even then, it seemed like an unspoken attempt to turn back to reverse the sinking in which the game had become.
The defeat is certainly a shock to the system, but if you're looking for a silver lining, at least Gonzaga manages to lose his terrible loss in this tournament rather than the next. This team did not feel like becoming complacent, but the training will likely be a bit more intense in the next week as they master their competitive death toll.
Waking up calls can sometimes be good. Hopefully this will be the case because during the next game of the Zags, there will be no next match if they lose.
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