The last time that the college basketball powerhouse from Spokane, Washington, didn’t appear in the West Coast Conference Tournament championship was back in 1997. As a 28-year-old man born in that year, I have never not seen the Zags in the title game. What a wild run it’s been.
In the final run at the Orleans Arena, a boatload of Zag fans from across the West Coast were once again present in Las Vegas, Nevada. The No. 1-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs (29-3, 16-2 WCC) went up against the No. 4 Oregon State Beavers (17-16, 9-9 WCC) in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals and took care of business through their defensive intensity.
The line to get into the building was unbelievably long, as many Gonzaga fans unfortunately missed the start of the game. Plan to arrive early tomorrow to avoid this. Once everyone was inside, the energy was felt from the Zag faithful throughout the ‘Kennel South.’
Senior wing Jalen Warley (four points, three rebounds, one assist/one turnover in 23 minutes played) made his return to the court after missing the last two games with a quad contusion. Coach Mark Few immediately plugged him back into the starting lineup, and he didn’t show any signs of discomfort. Looking quite limber as he ran up and down the court, even getting up high at the rim for an easy lay-in off an alley-oop.
“On both ends, he’s special. He’s phenomenal. The way he gets us into action, the way he just keeps the ball moving on the offensive end is special. And on defense, he’s handsy, he everywhere, he’s hit his coverages, he’s talking to us, he’s pulling us together for huddles. We definitely missed his energy and his leadership on the floor and we’re glad to have him back.” – Gonzaga graduate forward Graham Ike on Jalen Warley
In other injury news, redshirt junior forward Braden Huff was seen walking on his own power, off the crutches, and with no boot on. A fantastic sign pointing to a possible return at the NCAA Tournament next week.
It was a slow offensive start for both teams on a warm Monday night, but the pace in transition was in control of the Zags. Freshman guard Mario Saint-Supery was exceptionally confident when bringing the rock up and looking to push consistently, adding four points, four steals, three assists/one turnover in 20 minutes played. Gonzaga scored 16 fastbreak points behind the young Spaniard.
He looked smooth even when falling into the Beavers’ cheerleaders. Surprised the ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ didn’t ask for their phone numbers after apologizing.
Redshirt junior guard Braeden Smith put together 21 solid minutes off the bench when Saint-Supery was off the floor as well. Very calm, not out of control when running the offense with his seven points and three assists/one turnover. That will be needed in the final round tomorrow night in Sin City.
Once again, the actual scoring output came on the back of Graham Ike’s dominance in the paint. That patented over-the-shoulder leftie hook of his is almost unguardable. The likes of junior center Yaak Yaak (four points on 1-for-9, two rebounds), junior forward Isaiah Sy (seven points on 1-for-6, eight rebounds), junior center Noah Amenhauser (11 points on 5-for-8, five rebounds), and senior forward Jorge Diaz Graham (team-high 15 points on 5-for-8, nine rebounds, four blocks) in Oregon State’s frontcourt rotation all couldn’t contain the tank-like Ike on the low block.
Ike continues to etch his name in the history books, now reaching 2,500 career points. That’s only been done by 86 players in the history of the NCAA Division I. Against the Beavers, he added a game-high 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting and 11 rebounds. That’s his 14th double-double of the season, tied for the 16th-most in the sport on the men’s side.
Graduate guard Adam Miller was a reliable source of energy and stability on both ends of the floor, hitting a buzzer-beating jumper to end the first half and completing with seven points, four assists/one turnover, three rebounds, and one steal. It’s been said before, but he’s stepped up with a brand new confidence that has been infectious over the last month or so. Miller is the x-factor for this team heading into the Big Dance.
The defensive intensity and eye for detail on that side of the action are the reasons the Zags came away with this win. The Zags were locked in on that part of the game, especially freshman wing Davis Fogle (nine points, six rebounds) and junior wing Emmanuel Innocenti (two points, six rebounds). Through the full 40 minutes, the Beavers allowed 19 points on 12 turnovers.
There was a cover on the lid for Oregon State, not hitting their first look from beyond the arc until the 7:09 mark of the first half. They would finish an ugly 6-for-25 for a 24 three-point shooting percentage.
Gonzaga wasn’t any better, actually worse. The three-point offense wasn’t up to the standard that should be expected from this group, hitting 21 percent on only 3-for-14 attempts. That part of their game has had many downs throughout the regular season and is a cause for concern with the postseason now here.
Junior guard Josiah Lake II, a former walk-on turned All-West Coast Conference First Teamer for the Beavers, struggled to get in any sort of offensive rhythm after finishing with just eight points on 2-for-9 field goals, 1-for-5 three-pointers, and four assists/two turnovers in Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle’s final game after 12 seasons with the university.
Tinkle was fired back on Feb. 26 and finished with an overall record of 176–206 during his time in Corvallis, Oregon. Lake II felt entirely grateful for what his coach had done for him in his tenure with the Beavers.
“Just super-grateful for him as a person. I couldn’t ask for a better guy to take me under his wing and trust me throughout this whole process.” – Junior guard Josiah Lake II on Wayne Tinkle
It was a crazy day for West Coast Conference coaches in general, with the Pepperdine Waves letting go of Ed Schilling after two seasons, the San Diego Toreros hiring Iowa State Cyclones assistant coach JP Blitch, and the Washington State Cougars keeping on David Riley for his third season in the Inland Northwest. The offseason coaching carousel is in effect.
As for the second semifinal matchup after the Zags’ victory, the No. 3-seeded Santa Clara Broncos (26-7, 15-3 WCC) upset the No. 2-seeded Saint Mary’s Gaels (27-5, 16-2 WCC) during the late-night slate, 76-71. Redshirt freshman guard Sash Gavalyugov buried the clutch three-pointer in the closing seconds to seal the deal, setting up the first non-Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s championship battle since 2021.
Coach Herb Sendek’s 600th career win not only locked up Santa Clara’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 1996, but also a three-bid West Coast Conference for the first time since 2022.
Tuesday night’s main event will take place at 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN. Win, and the Zags receive a No. 3 seed for March Madness. Lose, and it’s a No. 4.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
