The Gonzaga Bulldogs have had some ups and downs this season. Many may say, they haven’t looked like themselves. However, the ninth-ranked Zags are now coming off of 77-51 win against Saint Mary’s for the WCC Championship, Tuesday night. In the game, Drew Timme scored 18 points and became the all-time leading scorer in school history.
The Zags (28-5) continued their domination of the WCC with their fourth consecutive tournament championship and 10th in 11 years, with Saint Mary’s in 2019 being the exception during that span. The Bulldogs have won 21 tournament titles overall.
“I can’t even describe it,” Timme said during the trophy presentation. “I’m leaving here four for four on [WCC] championships. That’s what we do over here at GU, baby.”
The two schools split their regular season matchups. In fact, the Gaels were the last team to beat the Zags. The latter has all the momentum on their side heading into the NCAA tournament, as they are in the midst of a nine-game winning streak. With Selection Sunday coming up, both teams will find out their seeds on Mar. 12.
During the game, Gonzaga shot 58% from the field and held Saint Mary’s to just 33%.
Timme’s short jumper with 10:17 left in the first half put him in first place alone as the leading scorer in Gonzaga history. He entered five points short of breaking the mark, and has 2,210 for his career. Frank Burgess held the previous record of 2,196 from 1958-61. A mark that has stood for 62 years.
“I knew he was going to get it,” Teammate Anton Watson said of Timme. “I didn’t know when, but what a good night to get it, on championship night. He deserves it. He’s one of the all-time Zags and I’m glad he’s my best friend because he’s a one-of-a-kind person.”
During the awards ceremony near midcourt, Gonzaga coach Mark Few called Timme “honestly one of the all-time greats that’s ever put on a uniform, nothing but a winner and just an incredible competitor.” Timme, who was voted the tournament’s most outstanding player, was joined on the all-tournament team by Watson and Strawther. The team also included San Francisco guard Khalil Shabazz, a graduate of Rainier Beach High in Seattle who started his college career at Central Washington.
Gonzaga took control early, using a nine-point run to go up 14-4 and maintained a double-digit lead most of the way from there. The Zags at one point in the first half made 10 of 12 field goals, and by halftime, they had taken full command with a 37-19 lead.
| Drew Timme is the Zags’ new scoring leader. The top 10: | |||
| # | Player | Seasons | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Drew Timme | 2019-2023 | 2,210 |
| 2. | Frank Burgess | 1959-1961 | 2,196 |
| 3. | Jim McPhee | 1986-1990 | 2,015 |
| 4. | Adam Morrison | 2004-2006 | 1,867 |
| 5. | Elias Harris | 2009-2013 | 1,857 |
| 6. | Kevin Pangos | 2012-2015 | 1,824 |
| 7. | Matt Santangelo | 1997-2000 | 1,810 |
| 8. | Ronny Turiaf | 2002-2005 | 1,723 |
| 9. | Matt Bouldin | 2007-2010 | 1,683 |
| 10. | Blake Stepp | 2001-2004 | 1,670 |
| Source: Gonzaga University | |||
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