The first game was close. The second game was also close. So, it was reasonable to assume that this season's third matchup between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's with the West Coast Conference Tournament title on the line would be another back-and-forth affair undetermined until the final minutes inside the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
It wasn't, though.
Instead, this season's third matchup between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's was a game the Zags led by double-digits barely six minutes in, and by 18 points at the half, before eventually cruising to a 77-51 win in the conference title game. The 26-point victory allows Gonzaga to enter the 2023 NCAA Tournament on a nine-game winning streak. After a slow start to the season, at least relative to most of the starts to most of Gonzaga's seasons, the Zags are 23-2 in their past 25 contests.
"It was a grind this season," said Gonzaga star Drew Timme, who finished with 18 points and six rebounds while becoming the school's all-time leading scorer. "I think that grind has made us as a group appreciate each and every night winning and what it takes to win and be a good team."
Gonzaga is No. 8 in Wednesday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. That would translate to a No. 2 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, which is what CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm is currently projecting Mark Few's program will receive on Selection Sunday. With the loss, Saint Mary's is down to No. 21 in the Top 25 And 1.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Jamal Shead finished with 16 points and seven assists in Sunday's 67-65 win at Memphis. The Cougars are the No. 1 seed in the American Athletic Conference Tournament. | -- | 32-5 |
| 2 |  | Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 82-73 win over Arizona. The Bruins are the No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. | -- | 16-17 |
| 3 |  | Dajuan Harris Jr. was 2 of 12 from the field in Saturday's 75-59 loss at Texas. The Jayhawks are the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. | -- | 23-11 |
| 4 |  | Alabama shot 19.4% from 3-point range in Saturday's 67-61 loss at Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide are the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament. | -- | 25-12 |
| 5 |  | ZachBrandon Newman finished with19 points and five assists in Sunday's 76-71 win over Illinois. The Boilermakers are the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Brandon Newman finished with19 points and five assists in Sunday's 76-71 win over Illinois. The Boilermakers are the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. | -- | 34-5 |
| 6 |  | Tyrese Hunter finished with 20 points and three assists in Saturday's 75-59 win over Kansas. The Longhorns are the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. | -- | 21-13 |
| 7 |  | Kam Jones finished with 23 points and two assists in Saturday's 96-94 win over St. John's. The Golden Eagles are the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament. | -- | 27-10 |
| 8 |  | Drew Timme finished with 18 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 77-51 win over Saint Mary's. The Zags won the West Coast Conference Tournament. | 2 | 27-8 |
| 9 |  | Kansas State allowed the Mountaineers to shoot 50.8% from the field in Saturday's 89-81 loss at West Virginia. The Wildcats are the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. | 1 | 19-15 |
| 10 |  | Jalen Bridges finished 1 of 9 from the field in Saturday's 73-58 loss to Iowa State. The Bears are the No. 4 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. | 1 | 24-11 |
| 11 |  | Jordan Hawkins finished with 24 points and four rebounds in Saturday's 71-59 win at Villanova. The Huskies are the No. 4 seed in the Big East Tournament. | -- | 37-3 |
| 12 |  | Courtney Ramey was 2 of 11 from the field in Saturday's 82-73 loss at UCLA. The Wildcats are the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. | -- | 27-9 |
| 13 |  | Jaedon LeDee finished with 21 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 67-50 win over Wyoming. The Aztecs are the No. 1 seed in the Mountain West Tournament. | -- | 26-11 |
| 14 |  | Jordan Miller finished with 17 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 78-76 win over Pitt. The Hurricanes are the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament. | 1 | 15-17 |
| 15 |  | Colby Jones finished with 20 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 78-66 win over Butler. The Musketeers are the No. 2 seed in the Big East Tournament. | 1 | 16-18 |
| 16 |  | Wade Taylor IV finished with 28 points and three rebounds in Saturday's 67-61 win over Alabama. The Aggies are the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament. | 1 | 21-15 |
| 17 |  | Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 27 points and nine rebounds in Sunday's 75-73 overtime win over Michigan. The Hoosiers are the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. | 1 | 19-14 |
| 18 |  | Tennessee allowed the Tigers to shoot 49.1% from the field in Saturday's 79-70 loss at Auburn. The Vols are the No. 5 seed in the SEC Tournament. | 1 | 27-9 |
| 19 |  | Jayden Gardner finished with 16 points and four rebounds in Saturday's 75-60 win over Louisville. The Cavaliers are the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament. | 1 | 23-11 |
| 20 |  | Kyle Filipowski finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 62-57 win at North Carolina. The Blue Devils are the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament. | 1 | 27-9 |
| 21 |  | Saint Mary's allowed Gonzaga to shoot 58.0% from the field in Tuesday's 77-51 loss to the Zags. The Gaels placed second in the West Coast Conference Tournament. | 7 | 26-8 |
| 22 |  | Kobe Brown finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 82-77 win over Ole Miss. The Tigers are the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament. | -- | 8-24 |
| 23 |  | Emmanuel Miller was 3 of 11 from the field in Saturday's 74-60 loss at Oklahoma. The Horned Frogs are the No. 6 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. | -- | 21-13 |
| 24 |  | Trey Alexander finished with 21 points and six rebounds in Saturday's 84-70 win at DePaul. The Bluejays are the No. 3 seed in the Big East Tournament. | -- | 25-10 |
| 25 |  | Jaren Holmes finished with 16 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 73-58 win at Baylor. The Cyclones are the No. 5 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. | -- | 29-8 |
| 26 |  | Brooks Barnhizer finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday's 65-53 win at Rutgers. The Wildcats are the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. | -- | 22-12 |
