Raivio lifts Gonzaga over Santa Clara in title game

Derek Raivio felt a certain responsibility, given all that Gonzaga has been through this season.

“This is my legacy,” the senior guard said after Gonzaga won the West Coast Conference tournament Monday night to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. “If we don’t win this game, I don’t think we’re in the tournament. I was not going to let that happen on my watch.”

Raivio scored a season-high 28 points in Gonzaga’s 77-68 victory over Santa Clara in the WCC championship game.

The top-seeded Bulldogs (23-10) have been to the NCAA tournament the last eight years, but a turbulent season had thrown a ninth trip into some doubt.

Gonzaga, which finished the regular season one game ahead of Santa Clara (21-10) in the WCC, has won eight of the last nine WCC tournaments, with San Diego winning in 2003.

The Bulldogs led by as many as 10 points in the second half, but it was David Pendergraft’s three-point basket with 4 minutes 36 seconds left that made it 61-52.

Second-seeded Santa Clara has not been to the NCAA tournament since 1996, Steve Nash’s senior year.

Matt Bouldin scored 14 points for Gonzaga, and Micah Downs had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

But after the game, the fans chanted “Raivio! Raivio! Raivio!”

“He did what every great senior that we’ve had at Gonzaga has done.... He played his best game he’s ever played, in the biggest moment, when we needed him the most,” Coach Mark Few said. “That’s what it’s all about. That’s what you want your seniors to do.”

Raivio’s father, Rick, was a standout at host Portland and his name hangs from a banner in the rafters of the university’s Chiles Center as part of the school’s Hall of Fame.

Raivio, selected co-player of the year in the WCC and the tournament’s most valuable player, got sick and threw up in the second half but said he didn’t have flu and didn’t think it was something he ate.

Scott Dougherty led Santa Clara with 16 points.

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Automatic bids

Teams to automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament so far:

MEN

* Belmont, Atlantic Sun Conference

* Creighton, Missouri Valley Conference

* Davidson, Southern Conference

* Eastern Kentucky, Ohio Valley Conference

* Gonzaga, West Coast Conference

* Niagara, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

* Pennsylvania, Ivy League

* Winthrop, Big South Conference

* Virginia Commonwealth, Colonial Athletic Assn.

WOMEN

* Chattanooga, Southern Conference

* East Carolina, Conference USA

* Gonzaga, West Coast Conference

* Harvard, Ivy League

* Marist, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

* North Carolina, Atlantic Coast Conference

* Purdue, Big Ten Conference

* Southeast Missouri, Ohio Valley Conference

* Stanford, Pacific-10 Conference

* Vanderbilt, Southeastern Conference

* Xavier, Atlantic 10 Conference