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2017 March Madness: Gonzaga advances to third straight Sweet 16 with victory over Northwestern

By Daniel Benjamin

Feb 11, 2017; Moraga, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) during the first half of the game against the St. Mary's Gaels at McKeon Pavilion. The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the St. Mary's Gaels with a score of 74-64. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Moraga, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) during the first half of the game against the St. Mary's Gaels at McKeon Pavilion. The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the St. Mary's Gaels with a score of 74-64. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Gonzaga Bulldogs are once again in the Sweet 16 after holding on for a victory over the Northwestern Wildcats.

The No. 1 seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the No. 9 seeded Northwestern Wildcats 79-73 in a West Region second-round game in Salt Lake City on Saturday evening. With the win, the Bulldogs advance to the Sweet 16 for a third consecutive year.

Gonzaga (34-1) almost let a big lead slip away for the second time this season. The Bulldogs, who led the nation in scoring margin at 23.2 points a game, survived a long second half scoring lull and got a break when officials missed a goaltending call on freshman Zach Collins.

Trailing 63-58 with 4:58 remaining, Northwestern got the ball down to 6-8 center Dererk Pardon who went up strong to slam the ball home. As Pardon was finishing his shot, Gonzaga freshman Zach Collins’ hand went through the rim and denied the opportunity.

The Bulldogs got the rebound and Northwestern coach Chris Collins lost his mind. Collins was hit with a technical four seconds later as he angrily entered the court to protest the non-call. Nigel William-Goss knocked down the two subsequent technical foul shots.

The NCAA did issue a statement admitting the missed call.

Collins, as could be expected, was appreciative of the NCAA’s apology.

"I appreciate the apology. It makes me feel great."

Gonzaga scored six straight points following to the technical to go up 69-59. The Bulldogs then sealed the victory by making 7-of-10 free throws over the last 40 seconds.

Williams-Goss led three Bulldogs in double figures with 20 points and eight rebounds. Jordan Mathews and Collins each added 14 points apiece.

Gonzaga used its typical stifling defense to create separation from Northwestern (24-12) early in the game. The Bulldogs went on 18-4 run over a 10-minute stretch to take a 24-10 lead at the 6:04 mark in the first half. The Zags limited the Wildcats to 30% shooting from the floor and just 9% (1-of-11) from beyond the arc as they took a 38-20 halftime lead. Williams-Goss tallied 14 points in the first half to lead the way. The 20 first-half points were a season-low for Northwestern.

Gonzaga, which led by as many as 22 points in the first half, went up 55-35 on a Killian Tillie layup with 12:58 remaining in the game. That is when Northwestern made its run. The Wildcats went on a 23-8 spurt that was capped by sophomore Vic Law’s follow-up dunk to cut the deficit to 63-58. Then on the other end, Scottie Lindsey blocked Williams-Goss’ shot.

Northwestern’s 53 second half points were the most points that Gonzaga has given in a half up this season. Bryant McIntosh and Law combined to score 28 of the Wildcats’ points in the second stanza. McIntosh finished with 20 points and seven assists while Law, who tallied a team-leading 15 points in the second half, contributed 18 points along with eight boards.

Next: Wisconsin upsets Villanova

Northwestern shot 50% (18-of-36) from the field in the second half. Meanwhile, Gonzaga shot 40% (10-of-25) but turned the ball over 11 times, leading to 17 Wildcats’ points.

Gonzaga will face West Virginia in the semis of the West Region in San Jose on March 24.

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