Busting Brackets
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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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Mar 23, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jevon Carter (2) defends against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) during the second period in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers 61-58. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jevon Carter (2) defends against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) during the second period in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers 61-58. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /

Best Tournament Win: West Virginia (61-58)

The Zags entered the tournament as the one-seed with a clear path to the Sweet 16. It was this game that most of their critics picked for them to lose.

Despite the doubt that the Bulldogs could beat the zone of West Virginia, tough defense, strong play from Johnathan Williams, and a late three-point jumper lifted the Zags.

This win was a team effort at its core, as four players scored between 10 and 13 points and five collected between four and seven rebounds. However, only five players recorded shot attempts from the field, since Zach Collins, Josh Perkins, and Killian Tillie attempted all their shots from the free-throw line.

While the West Virginia press defense was successful in slowing down the Zags’ offense, forcing 16 turnovers. The Gonzaga defense was suffocating on the other end, holding West Virginia shooters to 26.7% from the field.

This game may go down as one of the most frustrating games for the fans, due to a high number of fouls. In total, there were 51 fouls called, which certainly prevented either offense from establishing a rhythm.

This game was the point at which most fans began to believe in the Zags.