LAS VEGAS - It’s tempting to suggest that this one was over before it began. And certainly once San Francisco coach Todd Golden announced that All-West Coast Conference senior forward Yauhen Massalski would not be available to play, top-ranked Gonzaga had an even bigger advantage than usual.
Without Massalski, the Dons were helpless to deal with the Zags’ 1-2 punch of big men Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren, and the result was an 81-71 victory for Gonzaga in the semifinals of the University Credit Union WCC Tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The top-seeded Zags (25-4) forged leads of 9-0, 14-3 and 20-5 and led by as many as 24 points on their way to beating fourth-seeded USF (24-9) for the 24th straight time, even if things got a little hairy at the finish.
Gonzaga advanced to Tuesday’s championship game for the 25th straight year. The Zags have won eight of the past nine WCC Tournament titles and are taking aim at their 20th all-time crown in the event, which would almost certainly lock up the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament.
“That’s a really, really good win to beat a team as good as San Francisco three times, a team that is definitely an NCAA tournament team,” Zags coach Mark Few said.
The Zags had eight days off since losing at Saint Mary’s in their regular-season finale. Could they avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since 2018? Or consecutive defeats to WCC foes for the first time since 2014? Well, there wasn’t much drama surrounding either of those questions.
“It’s just what we do. It’s Zag basketball,” Timme said of the team’s performance. “We got away from it a little bit. We just got back to doing what we do best.”
Golden made the call not to play Massalski, who provides the Dons 13.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game but bruised his knee against BYU on Saturday and looked a bit gimpy.
The injury isn’t serious, Golden said, but he is convinced the Dons — who had a sturdy No. 24 ranking in the NCAA’s NET computer poll on Monday — are already a certainty to be selected for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998. So Golden reasoned that he’d rather allow Massalski to rest and heal for the Big Dance than play him at less than 100 percent in a game that was not do-or-die for the Dons.
USF was projected as a No. 9 seed in the NCAAs, according to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi.
Asked a second time about the Dons’ postseason status, Few added, “There’s no doubt in my mind.”
Timme and Holmgren combined for 86 points in Gonzaga’s two regular-season wins over USF. They did pretty much whatever they wanted in the first half of this one.
Timme, the All-American forward, and Holmgren, the 7-foot freshman, combined to score Gonzaga’s first 16 points. Timme put on his usual display of positioning and fundamentals while funneling in points at ease. Holmgren scored off a beautiful spinning drive to the hole that few people his age and size have ever executed. Minutes later dropped in a 3-point shot.
The Zags’ lead grew to 47-27 by halftime, at which point their two big men had combined for 23 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. By the time it was over, Timme had 22 points on 9-for-13 from the field, four rebounds and four assists, and Holmgren had accumulated 17 points on 7-for-10, with eight rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals.
All-conference point guard Andrew Nembhard, who was held without an assist in the loss to Saint Mary’s, had four after barely six minutes and eight by halftime. His final numbers: 17 points, nine assists and one turnover in 40 minutes.
Gonzaga shot nearly 65 percent in the opening 20 minutes, USF barely 29 percent.
“We weren’t ourselves,” Golden said. “We had to make a big adjustment playing without Yauhen.”
USF was going to need high-level performances from its two senior guards, Jamaree Bouyea or Khalil Shabazz, just to stay close. That didn’t happen, at least when it mattered. They totaled eight points on 3-for-17 shooting in the first half.
Shabazz warmed up in the second half, when he scored 23 of his 27 points. But Bouyea finished with just five points — well under his season average of 17.1 — on 1-for-11 shooting.
The Zags took little credit for Bouyea’s rough night. “He’s a real good player,” Nembhard. “Guys have off days.”
MORE GONZAGA ACHIEVEMENTS: The Zags have reached 25 victories for the 15th consecutive season. That ties the NCAA record set by Kansas from 2006 through 2020.
Gonzaga improved to 29-3 in WCC Tournament play since 2009 and to 28-2 in semifinal games. They are now 48-5 in the WCC Tournament under coach Mark Few. Remarkably, the Zags have won 77 of their past 82 games overall.
NO NERVOUSNESS: Golden remains resolute on his belief that the Dons are a sure thing to be announced in the field of 68 on Selection Sunday.
“I don’t have any concerns,” he said. 'I think Saturday (and the win over BYU) was the big game for us. If we would have lost on Saturday this would have been a real tough week for us, sitting around waiting.”
Golden, who played in two NCAA Tournaments with Saint Mary’s, said the Dons will rest and enjoy this week. "Honestly, it’s funny but the pressure is now off,” he said. “Now let’s see what we can do? We’re playing with house money for the rest of the season and we’re going to approach it that way and have a lot of fun.”
LATE USF SURGE: Down 77-57 with about five minutes, the Dons had one last gasp, running off 11 straight points to get within 13. Julian Rishwain, who matched his season high with 20 points, triggered things with a jumper before Shabazz scored nine points in a row to slash the margin to 77-68 with 2:53 left.
Two free throws by Julian Strawther with 2:45 left stopped the bleeding and Shabazz finally cooled off, shooting an air-ball 3-pointer on USF’s ensuing possession.
The Dons, playing with great energy, got as close as eight points before time ran out. “It was big to show that we can fight, regardless of the score,” Shabazz said.
Few didn’t express concern, noting, “We’ve got a game in less than 24 hours. You move on.”
STAT OF THE GAME: Gonzaga outscored USF, 52-18, in points in the paint. It was the 10th time this season the Zags have scored at least 50 in the paint.
QUOTE OF THE GAME: “It’s the best feeing. I was born in ’98 so that’s a long time. Everybody’s been a part of this. For us to make this a reality, which it will be on Sunday, will be a good feeling.” — USF guard Khalil Shabazz on the expectation the Dons will get their first NCAA Tournament bid since 1998.