Erick Doxey photo
There were plenty of reasons to celebrate after the Zags' first two NCAA Tournament games.
Gonzaga’s senior-heavy team thanked their supporters and said their goodbyes to the Kennel back on Senior Night in late February. As it turned out, it wouldn’t be their final game in front of those fans. Thanks to their impressive play throughout the season, the Zags earned a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament and — as a result — got to host the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament on their home court. What happened next will go down as two of the most special basketball environments that I personally have ever witnessed. “As good as the crowds are throughout the regular season, today was different,” head coach Lisa Fortier said after the Zags’ win over Utah on Monday. Things got underway on Saturday when the Zags faced off with 13-seed UC Irvine in what started out as a tough, physical battle that saw the underdog Anteaters hold a lead at the end of the first quarter. An explosive second half helped bring the overwhelmingly red-clad crowd fully into the game and spurred the Zags to what would wind up as a 75-56 blowout victory. “Our Zags fans bring a lot of energy, but today especially with the student section just being filled," senior forward Yvonne Ejim said after the win. "I think especially when we went on our runs, we felt the energy. Especially when we come back on defense, everyone is cheering, everyone is clapping, not only around us but on our team, too, and I think that really fed into the intensity that we kept up throughout the game."
That energy continued into Monday night’s matchup with 5-seed Utah. After Saturday’s win, Ejim mentioned the energy helping during the team’s runs. On Monday, the Zags found themselves in a game of runs against the Utes. Utah was hot early and took an early lead behind hot shooting inside and outside the arc from star forward Alissa Pili. Then, as they did the game prior, the Zags brought the crowd and the noise into play with even hotter shooting of their own. Late in the first quarter, the Zags had made just five of 13 shots, but followed that up with a run where they made 14 of their next 18. During that stretch, Utah made just five of its 19 shots and found itself trailing Gonzaga by 21 points midway through the third quarter. The Utes would battle back, as the cold shooting would swing back towards the Zags. Utah pulled within six points late in the fourth quarter, but the Zags were able to extend their lead from the free throw line. "I was telling [Ejim], if we're not going to score this possession and get to the free throw line we have to reward ourselves somehow for this possession. I thought we did a really good job of that. Didn't take any free throws for granted,” senior guard Kayleigh Troung said.
When the final horn sounded, and the Zags had secured a trip to the Sweet Sixteen thanks to their 77-66 victory, the team ran into the stands to celebrate with the exuberant student section. When asked if the celebration was planned, Ejim could only laugh about the moment.
"No. I was kind of like, 'Let's go,'" Ejim said. "The student section, they brought it today. Kudos to them.”
Unlike on Senior Night, the celebration on Monday will without question be the final one of the season at the Kennel. There is no chance for another game at home. Now, the Zags set their sights on the Sweet Sixteen in Portland, with a potential Final Four trip to Cleveland after that. First though, the Zags must get through a tough test against the bruising 1-seed Texas Longhorns. Unlike the 3-point-happy Utes, Texas does almost all of its work around the rim. No team in the sport makes more two-point baskets than the Longhorns’ average of 26.8 per game (Gonzaga, for comparison, ranks 58th nationally with 20.3 per game). Stopping Texas’ trio of 6-foot-plus forwards of Aaliyah Moore (11.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG), Taylor Jones (12.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG), and Second Team AP All-American Madison Booker (16.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.1 APG) will be a tall task for Gonzaga’s frontcourt. On the flip side, Texas’ weakness from deep — the Longhorns average just 3.9 threes made per game (332nd nationally) — is Gonzaga’s strength. The Zags average 9.5 threes per game, and are first in the country hitting them at a 40.1 percent clip. And threes are, of course, worth more than twos. That simple math isn’t the only thing that can work in Gonzaga’s favor. Portland is just an hour flight or a few more hours in a car away from Spokane. And Gonzaga fans know how to support their team. Plus, the Bulldogs will be something that they haven’t been yet this Tournament, a role they have thrived as in the past — the underdog. They’ll once again be David taking on Goliath. “I'm really excited for us to get down there," said Fortier. "It's not a home environment, but I think that we're pretty comfortable in that underdog space." We shall see how they fare in that space come Friday night, but until then there is more than enough reason to celebrate what they’ve already accomplished. The team is heading to the Sweet Sixteen for just the fifth time in program history, and the first since 2015. A win, and they’re in the Elite Eight for just the second time.
Another win after that? Then they'll be making history.
