Ready for Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's, round 3? Anton Watson leads Bulldogs to WCC Tournament title game vs. Gaels
Anton Watson scored a season-high 20 points to lead the No. 10 Gonzaga Bulldogs to an 84-73 victory over the San Francisco Dons in the semifinal round of the West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament in Las Vegas on Monday night.
The Zags (27-5, 15-2 WCC) advanced to the WCC championship round after holding off a furious second-half comeback from the Dons.
Drew Timme added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Julian Strawther added 15 points, while Ben Gregg knocked down four triples off the bench.
Khalil Shabazz paced the Dons (20-14, 7-10 WCC) with 26 points, while Tyrell Roberts added 17 points.
Gonzaga will face No. 1 seed Saint Mary's on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the WCC Tournament championship game. It will be the third meeting this season between the Zags and Gaels.
Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga's semifinal win:
ANTON GIVES A SPARK
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After being named an All-WCC honorable mention, some felt the senior who led the conference in field goal percentage while playing outstanding defense should have received more recognition.
Watson wasted no time making his case against the Dons, scoring 13-first half-points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field. A career 23% 3-point shooter, Watson knocked down two triples in less than five minutes of action on Monday.
While the Dons struggled with turnovers early on, Watson and the Zags capitalized to take a swift double-digit lead. The 6-8 forward failed to convert around the rim before knocking down a triple moments later to give Gonzaga a 12-2 lead with 16:15 left in the half.
Watson beat the shot clock on his second 3-pointer of the night. On the next possession, Rasir Bolton found Watson cutting through the lane, extending the Zags' advantage to 19-7.
In the second half, Watson anchored a defensive effort against a furious Dons comeback. With a chance to tie it up, San Francisco's Ndewedo Newbury had his hook shot over Bolton swatted away by Watson. A few possessions later, Watson came from behind to reject Marcus Williams at the rim.
The Zags turned defense into offense to gain some breathing room and led 62-54 with 8:18 remaining.
Watson finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
SHABAZZ CARRIES DONS
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Two days after a career-night 38 points in the second round of the WCC Tournament, Shabazz continued his hot streak against the Zags.
Shabazz got it going early with 14 first-half points and four 3-pointers. The All-WCC first-teamer showed off his scoring ability late in the first half with a setback triple, making it a 39-32 game after the Zags led by as many as 15 points.
Shabazz rode his hot hand into the second half, scoring the Dons' first two baskets. His fourth 3-pointer of the night sparked a 9-3 scoring spurt that made it 56-54 in favor of Gonzaga midway through the half.
Shabazz, who led the Dons in scoring with 17.5 points per game, averaged 23.6 points over three WCC Tournament games.
BACK TO THE WCC CHAMPIONSHIP
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With Monday's win, the Zags advanced to its 26th straight WCC championship game to face the Saint Mary's Gaels.
It'll be the third time in the last four championships that the Zags and Gaels meet. Gonzaga won last season's tournament over Saint Mary's 82-69, while Andrew Nembhard was named tournament MVP.
The Zags and Gaels square off at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
