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 On Monday night, Gonzaga's veteran basketball team effectively told
the young Pepperdine Waves: Keep dreamin'.
The senior-less Waves, who lost close games with Gonzaga in both
regular-season meetings, scored the first basket of the second half
to forge a 35-35 tie. The Bulldogs responded by sinking 13 of 17
shots in the first 9 1/2 minutes of the half during a dazzling 30-8
run that spurred Gonzaga's 79-61 victory in the semifinals of the
West Coast Conference tournament.
"That was easily the most fun we've had in a game this year,"
Bulldogs guard Byron Wesley said after scoring a season-high 25
points in the rout.
The seventh-ranked Bulldogs (31-2) will play in the tournament title
game for the 18th consecutive year Tuesday, facing second-seeded BYU
(25-8). The Cougars posted an 84-70 win over Portland in Monday's
second semifinal.
Pepperdine (18-13) came into the game ranked second in the WCC
behind Gonzaga in points allowed and field-goal percentage defense.
The Waves hung with Gonzaga during a free-flowing first half, but
Pepperdine was no match when an improved Bulldogs defensive effort
in the second half ignited the offense.
"I think it started at the defensive end," Wesley said. "We weren't
really getting stops in the first half. We came out in the second
half and we really locked up defensively."
Forward Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga's leading scorer, recorded 17 points
and nine rebounds while playing 31 minutes. Wiltjer was forced to
leave Gonzaga's previous game, a Saturday win over San Francisco,
with a hip injury.
"He showed a lot of courage tonight," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.
Wesley, who transferred to Gonzaga for his senior season after
leading the University of Southern California in scoring and
rebounding last year, played aggressively at both ends of the floor
from the outset. He tied his career high with four steals and sank
10 of 13 shots.
"He was feelin' it tonight," Gonzaga point guard Kevin Pangos.
Pangos isn't "feelin' it" lately with his shot. However, the WCC
Player of the Year produced six points, six assists and two steals
on the night despite foul trouble that limited his first-half
playing time.
The Bulldogs, first in the nation coming into Monday play with 52.4
percent shooting from the field, shot 52.5 percent for the game and
57.6 percent in the second half. The Bulldogs sank eight of 17 shots
from 3-point range (47.1 percent) against a Pepperdine team that led
the nation in 3-point defense through Sunday at 25.6 percent.
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"Gonzaga is a great team," forward Stacy Davis said after leading
Pepperdine with 15 points and seven rebounds. "They are very
balanced."
Pepperdine coach Marty Wilson added, "Gonzaga has done a great job
in recruiting and has laid down the blueprint for everyone in the
league to look at."
Gonzaga center Przemek Karnowski sank six of seven shots and scored
13 points.
Guard Jeremy Major scored 12 points for the Waves, who lost to
Gonzaga for the 29th consecutive time since 2002.
Gonzaga led 35-33 at the half. There were eight lead changes and
three ties in the half, when both teams shot the ball well.
The Bulldogs hurt themselves by sinking just seven of 14 free throws
in the opening half. Gonzaga finished 9-for-19 at the line (47.4
percent), with Wesley going 3-for-8.
NOTES: A win Tuesday would enable Gonzaga to tie the single-season
school record of 32 victories, set in 2012-13. ... Gonzaga's Kyle
Wiltjer was selected Monday as one of five finalists for the Karl
Malone Award as the nation's best power forward. Last week,
Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos was chosen one of five finalists for the Bob
Cousy Award for the best point guard. ... Pepperdine broadcaster Al
Epstein called his 907th consecutive Waves game. Epstein said he
missed only two games in 30 years with the Waves, and those two were
due to a work conflict his first year on the job. ... The Waves had
not played in the WCC tournament semifinals since 2004.
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