Gonzaga Survives OT

Unfair advantage?

Gonzaga needed every bit of it.

San Diego took the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs to the wire and beyond on Gonzaga’s home court before losing in overtime, 96-92, in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament Sunday.

“Every team in the WCC wants to beat us. It would be their dream goal, their life accomplishment,” Gonzaga star Adam Morrison said.

Morrison, held to five points until only two minutes remained in the first half and limited to a single field goal in the second, finished with 24 points, two fewer than San Diego’s Nick Lewis.

With forward J.P. Batista playing hurt after suffering a mild knee sprain and a bruised thigh early in the game, Gonzaga (26-3) survived to face Loyola Marymount (12-17) in tonight’s title game only after hot-shooting San Diego went cold in overtime, making one of seven shots.

The Toreros (18-12) made 10 of 27 three-point shots and had a two-point lead with less than four minutes left in regulation after center Nir Cohen made consecutive threes.

But Gonzaga, which extended the nation’s longest home winning streak to 39 games in front of a raucous McCarthey Athletic Center crowd, came back to take a four-point lead on Derek Raivio’s steal and three-point play with 58 seconds left.

But San Diego forced overtime when Brandon Johnson drove the lane and passed to an open Corey Belser for a layup at the buzzer.

Batista, who scored 21 points, put Gonzaga up by three with 1:12 left in overtime on a layup off an assist from Morrison, then made three of six free throws.