BYU an interesting bubble case after loss to Gonzaga in WCC title game

Gonzaga beat BYU, 91-75, in the championship game of the West Coast Conference tournament on Tuesday night.

Gonzaga and BYU entered Tuesday night’s West Coast Conference tournament championship game with drastically different priorities. The Zags were hoping to bolster their case for a favorable seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars were looking to end all bubble speculation and earn an automatic bid.

By the end of the night, Gonzaga was brandishing another piece of conference hardware, and BYU was bracing itself for four-plus days of Life On The Bubble. The Zags won, 91-75, to improve their record to 33-2 and buttress their bid for the No. 2 seed in the West Region. Even if Gonzaga isn’t rewarded with a geographical advantage, it’s in good shape on the two-line.

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The difference is, whereas a win on Tuesday night would have preempted intriguing bubble debate by guaranteeing BYU a spot in the field, the Cougars no longer control their fate.