Gonzaga Basketball: Zags survives UNC Greensboro to extend First-Round victory streak
By Connor Hope
The Gonzaga Bulldogs wins a thriller in Boise to preserve their NCAA Tournament First Round winning streak.
Heading into the game against UNC Greensboro, the Gonzaga Bulldogs had won their previous nine First Round games. Looking to avoid their first First Round exit since they lost to Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats in 2008, the Zags had to overcome a tough defensive game by the Spartans.
It appeared early that the Zags week off had created some rust, with the Bulldogs making uncharacteristic mistakes. Killian Tillie picked up two fouls in the first ten minutes, the guards turned the ball over often, and there were too many ill-advised shots.
UNCG took advantage early, holding a slim lead until 10:30 left in the first half when Silas Melson’s mid-range jumper tied the game. From that point on, Gonzaga would not trail, building a nine-point lead going into the half.
In the second half, Gonzaga came out strong before letting a UNCG run helped the Spartans tie it with six minutes left. This back and forth action would last until the end of the game when a Zach Norvell three with 21 seconds put the Zags up 67-64. Marvin Smith’s three-point attempt rimmed out with 12 seconds left and the Zags ended up escaping with a 68-64 victory.
The biggest key to Gonzaga’s win was the play of senior forward Johnathan Williams. The West Region’s Most Outstanding Player last season, Williams is looking like he could take over once again. Williams had a double-double with 18 minutes left and finished the game with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Josh Perkins had 16 points, while Zach Norvell finished with a very inefficient 15 points.
For the Spartans, James Dickey’s work on the inside kept the game close in the first half. However, it was Francis Alonso and Demetrius Troy who gave the Zags their second-half scare, finishing the game with 16 points each.
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Gonzaga’s First Round winning streak now sits at a decade, and they will face either Ohio State or South Dakota State for a spot in the Sweet 16. They Zags will definitely be looking to clean things up for the next round, but still have the talent to make a deep run in the tournament.