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The Best Wins, Players, and Moments of Gonzaga’s 2016-2017 Season

By Connor Hope

March 7, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrates after defeating the Saint Mary's Gaels in the finals of the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 7, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrates after defeating the Saint Mary's Gaels in the finals of the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 27, 2016; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins (13) dribbles the ball past Iowa State guard Nazareth Mitrou-Long (15) in the second half of the championship game of the 2016 Advocare Invitational at HP Field House. Gonzaga won 73-71. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2016; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins (13) dribbles the ball past Iowa State guard Nazareth Mitrou-Long (15) in the second half of the championship game of the 2016 Advocare Invitational at HP Field House. Gonzaga won 73-71. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /

Best Non-Conference Win: Iowa State (73-71)

While many people will point to the win over Arizona as the Bulldogs’ most impressive victory, it was their win over Iowa State that started turning heads.

In December, the Bulldogs did beat the eventual two-seed Arizona Wildcats in Los Angeles. This victory, however, came when Arizona was missing two key contributors, including star Allonzo Trier.

In the AdvoCare Invitational, Gonzaga played in the final against Iowa State. The Cyclones team they played was at full strength and ranked in the top 25. Not only did they beat Iowa State, they did so on a neutral court.

This win may have been one of Josh Perkins’ best games. The sophomore guard scored 12 points, five assists, four rebounds, and one steal. It was also one of the first stellar games from Nigel Williams-Goss, who finished with 18 points.

This game was also an early glimpse of how good Gonzaga’s offense could be. Iowa State, which has an above average defense, gave up 49 first half points before the shots stopped dropping for the Zags.

This victory helped lift Gonzaga into the top 10, where they would stay for the remainder of the year.