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First on my deck, Jim Meehan. (Bolding added for my "Ahhhh! faves":
Sophomore guard Matt Bouldin rattled off three reasons why Gonzaga should be highly motivated for tonight’s regular-season finale against Santa Clara.
“They beat us here last year, it’s Senior Night and we sure don’t want to share this thing,” Bouldin said.
To expound, Bouldin is referring to Santa Clara ending Gonzaga’s 50-game home winning streak last season, tonight will be the home sendoff for seniors David Pendergraft and Abdullahi Kuso, and the Bulldogs need a win to claim an outright West Coast Conference championship.
Gonzaga (23-6, 12-1 WCC) defeated Saint Mary’s 88-76 on Saturday to clinch at least a share of the conference championship for the eighth straight season. The Gaels would share the title with a win over Portland tonight and a Gonzaga loss.
“A lot of people ask me what do you have to do to be motivated for this game, especially after (Saturday’s) game was so hyped,” junior guard Jeremy Pargo said. “Just think about what those guys did to us last year. They were up 20 in this building after we’d won 50 in a row. They beat us. We can’t let that happen again.”
It almost happened a month ago at Santa Clara. The Broncos (14-14, 6-7) had a two-point lead and possession of the ball, but Gonzaga’s Steven Gray deflected a long inbounds pass, gathered the ball near the sideline and was inexplicably fouled by Brody Angley in the backcourt with 0.3 seconds left. Gray made two free throws to force overtime and Gonzaga eventually won 87-82 in double OT.
“They beat us here last year, it’s Senior Night and we sure don’t want to share this thing,” Bouldin said.
To expound, Bouldin is referring to Santa Clara ending Gonzaga’s 50-game home winning streak last season, tonight will be the home sendoff for seniors David Pendergraft and Abdullahi Kuso, and the Bulldogs need a win to claim an outright West Coast Conference championship.
Gonzaga (23-6, 12-1 WCC) defeated Saint Mary’s 88-76 on Saturday to clinch at least a share of the conference championship for the eighth straight season. The Gaels would share the title with a win over Portland tonight and a Gonzaga loss.
“A lot of people ask me what do you have to do to be motivated for this game, especially after (Saturday’s) game was so hyped,” junior guard Jeremy Pargo said. “Just think about what those guys did to us last year. They were up 20 in this building after we’d won 50 in a row. They beat us. We can’t let that happen again.”
It almost happened a month ago at Santa Clara. The Broncos (14-14, 6-7) had a two-point lead and possession of the ball, but Gonzaga’s Steven Gray deflected a long inbounds pass, gathered the ball near the sideline and was inexplicably fouled by Brody Angley in the backcourt with 0.3 seconds left. Gray made two free throws to force overtime and Gonzaga eventually won 87-82 in double OT.
unior center John Bryant, who had just nine points while being limited to 19 minutes because of foul problems Saturday, is averaging 18.2 points and 9.6 boards, just barely in front of Saint Mary’s Diamon Simpson as the WCC’s top rebounder. Bryant had 22 points and Angley scored 28 in the first meeting with Gonzaga.
“It was a thriller down there, they gave us all we could handle and we were lucky to escape with a win,” Bulldogs coach Mark Few said. “Obviously there is going to be lots of emotion (on Senior Night). We’re going to have to channel our emotions.”
Pendergraft, a co-captain with Pargo, hasn’t missed a game in his four seasons. During that time, Gonzaga has gone 101-26 with four WCC titles. In two seasons at GU, Kuso has made nearly 55 percent of his shots, averaged 4.4 rebounds and blocked 74 shots, seventh on the school’s all-time list.
“I want ‘Pendo’ to play great,” said freshman Austin Daye, who shares the ‘4’ position with Pendergraft and is Pendergraft’s roommate on road trips. “I hope for him that he accomplishes all the things he wanted to do coming to Gonzaga. I just hope Pendo and Kuso have a great game.”
Bouldin echoed Daye’s thoughts. Regarding Pendergraft, Bouldin said, “He embodies everything that is a Zag. I didn’t know what that was coming in, but I do now. Kuso is a warrior. You see that every night.”
“It was a thriller down there, they gave us all we could handle and we were lucky to escape with a win,” Bulldogs coach Mark Few said. “Obviously there is going to be lots of emotion (on Senior Night). We’re going to have to channel our emotions.”
Pendergraft, a co-captain with Pargo, hasn’t missed a game in his four seasons. During that time, Gonzaga has gone 101-26 with four WCC titles. In two seasons at GU, Kuso has made nearly 55 percent of his shots, averaged 4.4 rebounds and blocked 74 shots, seventh on the school’s all-time list.
“I want ‘Pendo’ to play great,” said freshman Austin Daye, who shares the ‘4’ position with Pendergraft and is Pendergraft’s roommate on road trips. “I hope for him that he accomplishes all the things he wanted to do coming to Gonzaga. I just hope Pendo and Kuso have a great game.”
Bouldin echoed Daye’s thoughts. Regarding Pendergraft, Bouldin said, “He embodies everything that is a Zag. I didn’t know what that was coming in, but I do now. Kuso is a warrior. You see that every night.”
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