Gonzaga Building Strong Case

There was a time when winning the West Coast Conference tournament was the pinnacle for Gonzaga.

But as the 12th-ranked Bulldogs dismantled San Diego, 90-74, in a semifinal men’s basketball game Sunday night, Torero Coach Brad Holland bore witness to Gonzaga’s heightened definition of success -- otherwise known as a long run in the NCAA tournament.

“Without question, they feel they have something to prove in the tournament and not let an early exit happen to them again,” Holland said. “They are not satisfied with winning our league.”

Gonzaga’s Ronny Turiaf, the conference’s player of the year, tied his season lows with two points and 15 minutes because of foul trouble.

But with Adam Morrison’s 25 points and J.P. Batista’s 24 points and 10 rebounds, the Bulldogs (24-4) built a 25-point lead early in the second half. They shot 65.6% in the first 20 minutes en route to their 11th consecutive victory.

“We were very good,” said Gonzaga Coach Mark Few, who added that, for stretches, his team was as good as it has been in combining “defensive intensity and disruption, with great offensive execution.”

Said Few: “We were getting the ball where it needed to be and making the game simple.”

The victory advanced Gonzaga to the WCC final against St. Mary’s.

Turiaf picked up two fouls in the first 1 minute 49 seconds and sat on the bench for all but five minutes of the first half. Morrison then asserted himself as the main option, looking for his shot early while also finding his teammates for easy shots with a career-high eight assists. He also helped limit Brandon Gay, San Diego’s leading scorer, to 15 points after the forward had scored a career-high 34 Friday against Pepperdine.

“He’s a great player,” said Morrison, a 6-foot-8 sophomore. “Obviously, I’m not a great defensive player. My teammates helped me a lot.”

Derek Raivio had 14 points for Gonzaga. Reserves Sean Mallon and Pierre-Marie Altidor-Cespedes also were effective, with Altidor-Cespedes making three of four three-point shots and providing five assists.

Floyd North III led San Diego (16-13) with 16 points, and Nick Lewis scored 15.

Holland didn’t expect anyone to go through the WCC with a 12-2 record and said he thought the Bulldogs would reach at least the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

“No question in my mind, they can go far in the tournament, especially if they shoot 65% in a half,” he said. “I can’t find a weakness in their game.”

St. Mary’s 69, Santa Clara 64 -- Paul Marigney scored five of his 20 points in the final 1:18 as the second-seeded Gaels (25-7) beat the Broncos and boosted their hopes for an NCAA at-large berth.

Santa Clara (15-16) won both regular-season meetings and had late opportunities to take the lead. But Kyle Bailey, who had 17 points, missed running shots on consecutive possessions after bringing the Broncos to within 65-64 with a basket.