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Gonzaga Basketball: Zags set to go dancing with win over St. Mary’s

By Mitch Krmpotich

March 7, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Kyle Wiltjer (33, left) controls the basketball against BYU Cougars guard Zac Seljaas (2) during the first half in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 7, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Kyle Wiltjer (33, left) controls the basketball against BYU Cougars guard Zac Seljaas (2) during the first half in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Gonzaga basketball will be heading to the big dance for the 18th straight year.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs played a hard fought game and beat the St. Mary’s Gaels, 85-75, on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs are the WCC champions yet again and will be headed to yet another Big Dance.

St. Mary’s played very well with sophomore guard Emmett Naar leading the way. He finished with 25 points, two rebounds, and six assists. He pretty much had his way – even with some uncharacteristic turnovers – but there was no stopping Gonzaga.

Eric McClellan did it all for Zags and his improvement over the course of the season has been impressive. He finished the game with 20 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. He went 9-of-9 from the free-throw line.

Related Story: Gonzaga advances to final with win over BYU

McClellan and the rest of the backcourt stepped up at the perfect time. Because of his excellent on-ball defense and clutch gene, McClellan is a perfect fit for the Zags backcourt.

Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Wiltjer combined for 32 points and 12 rebounds. They were dominant down low and from mid range.

The Zags had an answer for every St. Mary’s run.  The Bulldogs shot 61.7% from the field. They also shot 21-of-22 from the free-throw line. Free-throws were the difference in this game. Gonzaga’s 21 points from the stripe did win them this one.

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This was an excellent tournament for Gonzaga. All Zags fans will be looking forward to Selection Sunday where they will be one of the more dangerous double digit seeds in the field.