No. 1 Gonzaga beats San Francisco in West Coast semis

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Gonzaga looked unstoppable for nearly 35 minutes, its free-flowing offense creating open shots, the defense smothering San Francisco at every turn.

The final five minutes turned into a grind as the Dons ratcheted up the intensity.

The Zags are headed back to the West Coast Conference tournament title game, but it got much tougher than they expected after building a massive lead.

Drew Timme scored 27 points, Chet Holmgren added 17, and top-ranked Gonzaga reached the WCC championship game for the 25th straight year by holding off San Francisco 81-71 Monday night.

"It’s just what we do — that’s Zag basketball," Timme said. "We just kind of got away from it and got back to doing what we do best."

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Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren (34) passes to forward Anton Watson (22) while San Francisco center Volodymyr Markovetskyy (33) guards during the first half of an NCAA semifinal college basketball game at the West Coast Conference tournament Monday, March 7, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

The Zags (25-3) worked the ball into the paint early and often, pushing around the smaller Dons while racing to a 24-point second-half lead. San Francisco (24-9) mounted a late comeback, pulling within eight while holding Gonzaga without a field goal over the final 5:33.

The Zags made four free throws down the stretch to win its 14th straight opening WCC tournament game. Andrew Nembhard had 17 points and nine assists while leading Gonzaga’s offense. Holmgren had seven rebounds and blocked six shots.

Gonzaga will face St. Mary's in the tournament title game for the fifth time in seven years.

Khalil Shabazz