Mark Few Show: ‘Puts us in a great position,’ Few recaps Gonzaga’s road sweep ahead of the WCC Tournament..

The No. 19 Gonzaga men’s basketball team had a tremendous week on the road as they picked up wins against San Francisco and No. 23 Saint Mary’s, who clinched the WCC regular season title.

The Zags started their week with the San Francisco Dons, which was a close game in the first half. The Dons were playing hard as Marcus Williams made a layup to start scoring in the first half. The Bulldogs had a slow start, as they were up by one point at halftime, 35-34.

At the beginning of the second half, a different Gonzaga team hit the court. Mark Few mentions that, “they just came out and just played a heck of a second half. Probably some of our best basketball on both ends of the floor.” This allowed them to gain some ground and win confidently over the Dons. They went on a 16-0 run in the second half and beat the Dons with an 18-point win, 86-68.

Playing well defensively wasn’t the only improvement for the Zags; they also had great shooting. They went 62.5% in field goals, which is better than their 51.6% season average.

After that big win, the Zags carried that confidence into their game against No. 23 Saint Mary’s, who just clinched the WCC regular season title. Earlier in the year, the Bulldogs had a heartbreaking loss against the Gaels, but in this game, they had hopes of bringing them their first in-conference loss.

As the Bulldogs stepped onto the court, you could tell they were looking for revenge. Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard were heating up on the court and helped the Zags gain a 16-point lead into the first half, 44-28.

Recapping this game, Few summarizes that “on short prep and going into a really, really hostile environment and tough place to play… The guys put a game plan together perfectly; we switched up some things and changed things during the game, and they did a wonderful job.”

Knowing that the Gaels would try to make a run in the second half, the Bulldogs held a consistent lead and guarded the Saint Mary’s Gaels incredibly well. The Zags handed Saint Mary’s their only loss in conference play in the WCC regular season finale with an impressive 13-point win, 70-57.

Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard both had a great game against the Gaels and helped lead them to victory. Few mention, “Obviously, Graham was huge, but Ryan was spectacular… He scored when he needed to, and he got the ball where it needed to be. I’m just really happy for those two guys.” They both picked up double-doubles: Ike had 24 points with 10 rebounds, and Nembhard had 20 points and 10 assists. Overall, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are in a good spot, and Few agrees. “Puts us in a great position and a great frame of mind. Also playing some great basketball.”

Up next for the Zags will be the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas that starts on Thursday. The Bulldogs have earned a bye until the semifinal round, so they won’t play until Monday, March 11.