Gonzaga Turns Back Saint Mary’s

Ronny Turiaf matched career highs with 29 points and 14 rebounds to lead Gonzaga to an 84-71 victory over Saint Mary’s in the championship game of the West Coast Conference tournament Monday night in front of 4,500 at the Leavey Center.

The Bulldogs (27-2) extended their winning streak to 20 games and will probably get a No. 1 or No. 2 regional seeding in the NCAA tournament.

It was Gonzaga’s fifth WCC tournament title in six seasons.

Saint Mary’s (19-12) rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half to pull within 70-66 on two free throws by E.J. Rowland with 5:01 to play.

Tony Skinner answered with a three-point basket and Turiaf followed with a three-point play, hitting a shot in the lane and making a free throw after being fouled, to put Gonzaga ahead, 76-66, with 4:10 left.

Turiaf, a 6-foot-10 junior, was chosen the tournament’s most valuable player. Teammates Blake Stepp (19 points) and Cory Violette (16 points) were chosen to the all-tournament team.

Rowland and Frederic Adjiwanou each scored 16 points for the Gaels.

Third-ranked Gonzaga wanted to show that its poor performance Sunday in a 63-62, come-from-behind semifinal victory over Santa Clara, a .500 team, was an aberration rather than a sign there are chinks in the Bulldogs’ collar.

Saint Mary’s, tired of being bullied by Gonzaga, was determined to play more competitively than it did in 14- and 19-point losses to the WCC champion in the regular season.

But the Gaels simply couldn’t keep up with the bigger Bulldogs.

After the teams traded baskets in the opening minutes, leading to an 11-11 tie, Gonzaga started to assert itself by dominating the boards.

Turiaf muscled inside for offensive rebounds and easy baskets. He scored nine points during a 16-5 run, capping it with a breakaway dunk, to give Gonzaga a 27-19 lead with 6:30 left in the half.

Stepp sank a three-point shot and Turiaf made a close-range basket to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 39-25.

Saint Mary’s scored four points in the last 25 seconds, including a layup at the buzzer by Rowland, to pull within 39-29 at halftime.

Turiaf had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Gonzaga had a 26-13 rebounding advantage in the first half.

Gonzaga Coach Mark Few said before the game that his team’s close call Sunday against Santa Clara could prove beneficial. “We did not play our ‘A’ game, and to find a way to win? Those are the games that [top] teams across the country are losing.” Few said. “We haven’t had one of those for quite a while. To dig it out is a great thing.”