Zags Headed to WCC Finals

Gonzaga sweeps Santa Clara out of the way in 52-48 win
By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 10, 2008 5:37 AM CDT
Zags Headed to WCC Finals
Gonzaga's Abdullahi Kuso, left, fights for a loose ball with Santa Clara's John Bryant, right, during the second half of their semifinal basketball game at the West Coast Conference tournament Sunday, March 9, 2008, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)   (Associated Press)

Gonzaga let Santa Clara come worryingly close before wresting a 52-48 win in last night's WCC semifinals. The breakout performance came from Josh Heytvelt, the third-string center who got a game-high 15 points for the Bulldogs, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The Broncos led most of the first half, though their final score was a season low.

It was the bench that saved the Bulldogs: Gonzaga's replacements totaled 34 points while Santa Clara's extra four added a single rebound and no points. "We had a great defensive effort from a lot of guys," explained Heytvelt. The Zags kept it clean as well, sending the Broncos to the free-throw line just seven times. (More NCAA basketball stories.)

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