Gonzaga Bulldogs to play USF Dons in West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals
The No. 9 Gonzaga Bulldogs aim for their 26th consecutive appearance in the West Coast Conference championship when they face the red-hot San Francisco Dons on Monday in the WCC semifinal round.
While Gonzaga enjoyed five days of rest, the sixth-seeded Dons pulled off two wins in as many days behind stellar performances from their All-WCC backcourt. After pacing the squad all season in scoring, Khalil Shabazz and Tyrell Roberts continued to power the offense in the first and second rounds of the postseason.
Against Pacific, Roberts finished with a game-high 25 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the floor. The former Washington State Cougar also knocked down three of the Dons' 13 triples on the night.
Roberts averaged 16.2 points per game while shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc, fourth-best in the WCC.
On Saturday, Shabazz dropped a career-high 38 points in a thrilling double-overtime win against Santa Clara. The All-WCC first-teamer scored the Dons' final 15 points of regulation, including two free throws with 13 seconds to force overtime. San Francisco converted at the free-throw line down the stretch to close out the 93-87 win.
Shabazz also had a season-high seven of the Dons' 14 3-pointers.
Shabazz earned his first All-WCC first team honor this season after leading the Dons with 17.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was also the only player in the conference to average over two steals per game.
Shabazz's postseason reputation preceded him heading into the 2023 WCC Tournament after leading the Dons to an NCAA Tournament bid last season. The 6-foot guard averaged 24.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in the conference tournament to help the program earn its first appearance in the Big Dance since 1998.
The Dons punched their ticket despite falling in the WCC semifinal round to Gonzaga. Shabazz scored 23 of his team-high 27 points in the second half, but San Francisco's comeback fell short at the finish line. Drew Timme's 22 points led the Zags, who were up by as many as 24 points, to an 81-71 win.
Staying with Timme, the two-time WCC Player of the Year has had plenty of postseason moments himself throughout his Gonzaga career. As the program's all-time leading scorer in the postseason, Timme has been pivotal in the last four runs to the Sweet 16 that includes a trip to the 2021 NCAA Championship.
Over six career WCC Tournament games, the Texan has averaged 15.0 points on 74.5% shooting from the floor — the highest mark in program history among players who started at least four tournament games.
This season, Timme's 21.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game paced the Zags, who had the nation's highest-scoring offense in the regular season. He'll have a chance to become the program's all-time leading scorer on Monday, as he's 22 points away from surpassing Frank Burgess on the list.
Aside from Timme, Rasir Bolton was a driving force behind Gonzaga's two victories over San Francisco in the regular season. In the first meeting, the senior scored 11 of his 21 points in the second half, including the game-winning putback in the final seconds, to lead Gonzaga to a 77-75 win in the Bay. Bolton followed with a 23-point performance in a 99-81 win over the Dons in Spokane last month.
"I had a big game down [in San Francisco], there last time so you know, I came out more aggressive and it worked out," Bolton said after the second meeting.
Timme and Anton Watson came out hot, scoring 12 of the team's first 16 points, before finishing the night with a combined 36 points and 14 rebounds.
"We got control of the game from the very beginning," Watson said. "Once we get a couple of quick buckets, that's it. I think that led to a good start for us."
Gonzaga will look to start out fast against San Francisco once again on Monday with a trip to the WCC Championship game on the line. The Zags have won 26 straight against the Dons, including the last five meetings in the conference tournament. Tipoff on ESPN2 is set for 8:30 p.m. PST.
