Gonzaga Basketball Stories: Spokesmanreview.com

Zags sag in clutch

PHOENIX � The Gonzaga Bulldogs had won with big first halves, won with big second halves, won on the road, won after spending most of a big lead and won comfortably against quality opposition.

Zags take on Wildcats

PHOENIX � The question was bound to come up, particularly leading up to the Gonzaga-Arizona men's basketball game.

Bulldogs run away in 2nd half

PULLMAN � It can happen that quickly.In a little more than a minute early in the second half, just 76 seconds in fact, Gonzaga showed Washington State what Eastern Washington's best team is this season � and then just kept emphasizing the point.

John Blanchette: Gonzaga beats WSU at own game

PULLMAN � This sort of thing was supposed to be history when football season ended.OK, Washington State didn't get beat by 60 on Wednesday night.

Rochestie calls out the shots

PULLMAN � Taylor Rochestie was nearly finished with a lengthy interview.But there was one more elephant in the room that had yet to be discussed, so Washington State's senior point guard didn't wait for it to run him over. He grabbed it by the tusks.

Past Zags pitch in on scout team

This wasn't your ordinary scout team.No, not with Casey Calvary impersonating Washington State center Aron Baynes. And Matt Santangelo imitating Cougars point guard Taylor Rochestie. And Alex Hernandez mimicking WSU guard Nikola Koprivica. And Brian Michaelson knocking down a 3-pointer. And Colin Floyd taking some repetitions, pretending to be Rochestie.

Crafty Zags school young Hoosiers

INDIANAPOLIS � Josh Heytvelt and Jeremy Pargo taught Indiana's youngsters a few lessons about what it takes to win.

Few thinks IU will be better in time

Gonzaga's Mark Few has no doubt that friend and coaching counterpart Tom Crean will turn around Indiana basketball.

Zags hold off Eastern behind Shives, Bowman

Kelly Graves didn't have much problem pinpointing his basketball team's problems.There were too many turnovers, too many offensive rebounds and too many second-half fouls.

Zags get their latest basketball jones in Indy

The fascination with paying for a seat in one area code to watch a basketball game being played in another still eludes many of us, but then so do the concepts of "reality" television and $150 sneakers.

Stats continue to move up for Downs

Gonzaga senior guard Micah Downs can't explain it, but his statistics seem to.Downs is more comfortable starting games than coming off the bench. He has regained a starting position that he held for the first part of last season before Steven Gray cracked the first unit.

Zags celebrate, but not too much

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few had a message for his players after their convincing 83-74 win over No. 12 Tennessee in the Old Spice Classic championship game Sunday.

Vols vanquished

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � Gonzaga put it all together � dunks, 3-pointers, transition game, defense, toughness, composure � to take Tennessee apart Sunday night.

No Joshin', Heytvelt looking good

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � Different game, different venue, same questions. It's becoming a postgame ritual that Josh Heytvelt doesn't mind at all.

Patience pays off

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � Ira Brown started it and the rest of the Gonzaga Bulldogs finished it.

Old Spice Classic

At Lake Buena Vista, Fla.Thursday's results ( Read the full story )

Teams off to take on beasts in East

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � Bigger tests figure to come down the road, but the Gonzaga men's basketball team should receive three rather large progress reports at the Old Spice Classic.

Gibbs suffers another setback

Grant Gibbs thought he was out of the woods. His right shoulder, which popped out of place at a Gonzaga men's basketball practice Nov. 10, was feeling better.

Zags smother Vandals

There are few things more satisfying for a coach than seeing his team take a game plan from the drawing board and execute it on the basketball court.

Bulldogs thunder 'Jackets

Gonzaga built two large leads against Montana State University-Billings � one it nearly frittered away and one that kept getting larger.

Pargo knows it's put-up time

Jeremy Pargo could have said eager, but instead characterized himself as being anxious � and so we'll take him at his word.

Coaches are familiar even if teams aren't

Gonzaga and Montana State University-Billings have never met on the basketball court, but their coaches have a long-standing friendship.

Gonzaga back in top form

Gonzaga had just finished a 51-point exhibition victory over Wayne State when Josh Heytvelt noticed a familiar face in the McCarthey Athletic Center crowd.

Zags clean up in debut

There was any number of things to pick off the stat sheet that would have been positives, but Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few zeroed in on the No. 2.

Goodson a quick study

Demetri Goodson is fast, and apparently a fast learner.The true freshman point guard has made a swift impression at Gonzaga through the first week and a half of practice.

Zags emphasize tough stuff

It wasn't just their scoring, rebounding, defense, experience or leadership. Or their hard-nosed presence on the basketball court.

For the Zags, let the madness begin

The Gonzaga Bulldogs hold their first official basketball practice today and already senior guard Jeremy Pargo senses something different.

Deep Zags set sail

USA Today, ESPN.com, Dickie V. and any number of online prognosticators and preseason magazines seem to agree: The Gonzaga Bulldogs are about to embark on a special men's basketball season.

Minnesota prep forward commits to Gonzaga

Sam Dower's AAU basketball coach remembers the first time Gonzaga's coaching staff watched the 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward play.

Classic goes on without Dickau

When the fourth annual Spokane All-Americans Charity Classic basketball game tips off Thursday at the McCarthey Athletic Center, Dan Dickau will be somewhere in Italy but Spokane will be on his mind.

Dickau ponders European options

Dan Dickau could face a dilemma. Take less money and play in the NBA or possibly earn more money and play in Europe.

John Blanchette: Daye of Our Lives

You're all familiar with the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Looks like a stretch for Lakers to keep Turiaf

One way or another, restricted free agent Ronny Turiaf will get big money he was seeking after signing an offer sheet Thursday with the Golden State Warriors worth approximately $17 million over four years.

Pargo opts out of draft

Gonzaga junior point guard Jeremy Pargo has decided he wants to be a senior point guard.Pargo withdrew his name from NBA draft consideration Monday, the deadline day for underclassmen who haven't signed with an agent. The draft is June 26th.

Zags lose forward

Larry Gurganious, who saw limited playing time during two seasons with the Gonzaga men's basketball team, is transferring, likely to a school closer to his family in Oakland, Calif.

Pargo: It's first round or back to GU

LAKE BEUNA VISTA, Fla. � There's only one way Gonzaga guard Jeremy Pargo won't be back in Spokane for his senior season � if an NBA franchise promises to draft him in the first round.

Zags, WCC may trade Mondays for Thursdays

Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference appear to be ready to wave goodbye to ESPN's Big Monday and say hello to Thursday night telecasts.

Heytvelt recuperates from surgery

Gonzaga forward Josh Heytvelt, who missed the first 11 games of the 2007-08 season following surgery on a stress fracture in his right foot/ankle, had another operation on the same foot/ankle last week.

Junior commits to GU

Mangisto Arop, a 6-foot-5 guard from Canada, has orally committed to play for the Gonzaga University men's basketball team. He'll arrive in 2009.

Pargo declares NBA draft eligibility

Gonzaga University junior guard Jeremy Pargo will declare himself eligible for the NBA draft, but doesn't plan on hiring an agent, which keeps open the option of returning for his senior season.

UC Davis dumps Gonzaga

Hot off the momentum of a four-game win streak, the Gonzaga Bulldogs (15-9) were not able to make it to five Monday, dropping an 8-2 decision to the host UC Davis (13-7) Aggies at Dobbins Stadium in the first Division I baseball game between the two schools.

Slow start dooms the Zags

BOULDER, COLORADO _ Even with a terribly slow start and seemingly impossible defensive challenges, Gonzaga University women's basketball coach Kelly Graves was convinced that with typical shooting the Bulldogs would have played Colorado to the wire Monday.

Curry too hot for Zags

RALEIGH, N.C. � It had been 39 years since Davidson won an NCAA men's basketball tournament game. It had been six seasons since anybody scored 40 points against Gonzaga.

Nothing could stop Curry

RALEIGH, N.C. � Select teams for a schoolyard pick-up game � without watching each other warm up � and Stephen Curry might well be the last player chosen.

Gray puts on his own long-shot exhibition

RALEIGH, N.C. � Gonzaga's Steven Gray let it be known early that there would be more than one sharp-shooting guard on the RBC Center court Friday.

By the numbers

That magical feeling

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. � It wasn't like Jake Guild grew up with a scarcity of college basketball teams to follow. The University of North Carolina is here in his hometown. Duke University is eight miles away in Durham.

GU notebook: Giacoletti enjoys role

RALEIGH, N.C. � After taking two different teams to the NCAA men's basketball tournament as a head coach, Ray Giacoletti seems to be enjoying this year's return trip as an assistant.

Acclaim before game

RALEIGH, N.C. � If this game were to be decided by the ability of each team to praise the other, it'd probably end in a quadruple-overtime draw.

Zags state case in WNIT rout

Actions speak louder than words.Four days after being snubbed by the NCAA, Gonzaga routed UC Davis 81-60 in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament before 1,718 fans at McCarthey Athletic Center Thursday night.

Acquaintances renewed in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. � The text message arrived on Gonzaga guard Matt Bouldin's cell phone shortly after the NCAA pairings were announced Sunday.

Fatigue won't be a factor for GU

RALEIGH, N.C. � When No. 7-seeded Gonzaga steps on the floor against No. 10 Davidson on Friday, it will mark 10 days between games for both teams � the longest break of GU's season.

WNIT is A-OK with Gonzaga

Once the basketball is in play, initials won't matter.That's what the Gonzaga women's team is counting on for tonight's matchup with UC Davis in the first round of the Women's NIT at McCarthey Athletic Center.

Lot of GU in Davidson

They like to run the court. Typically use a nine-man rotation. Possess ample NCAA tournament experience. Dominate a conference that flies under the national radar. Schedule without fear of the name on the opponents' jersey. Guard driven, including the conference player of the year.

Cougs, Zags both ranked heading into tournament

North Carolina, the overall No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament, finished No. 1 Monday in the Associated Press' final men's poll of the season.

Snubbed by NCAA, GU at home in women's NIT

The spacious Gonzaga locker room was like a small cage and Bulldogs women's basketball coach Kelly Graves was the tiger, pacing endlessly late Monday afternoon.

Bulldogs to play Davidson in Wildcats' backyard

Plenty of newspaper ink will be spilled over the fact that Gonzaga, as a seventh seed, will play No. 10 Davidson in the Wildcats' backyard in an NCAA tournament opener Friday, and rightfully so.

John Blanchette: Committee should learn to read compass

So many teams, so much data, so many natural disasters, so little time.Here's a toast to the good men and woman on the NCAA tournament selection committee, the impossible job they have in selecting, seeding and siting the 65-team bracket and how well they do despite the odds.

NCAA tourney tickets scarce for WSU, GU

NCAA tournament tickets for Washington State and Gonzaga men's basketball fans will be scarce if their teams receive berths.

Stop worrying! Zags are a lock for NCAA tournament

SAN DIEGO � Among other afflictions, the Gonzaga basketball creature suffers from a charming � or maddening � latency. For example:

Zags women play waiting game

The garage is clean. The yard work that can be done has been done."I'm trying to do anything to take my mind off the next week," Gonzaga women's basketball coach Kelly Graves said. "The garage and outside the house � those are the only things my wife trusts me with. (Portland coach) Jim Sollars wants me to come down and go golfing, but that's only one day."

Toreros subdue Zags

SAN DIEGO � There is no statistical category in the box score for desire, hustle, effort, want-to, whatever you want to call it. But rebounding probably comes closest to defining those intangibles that often spell the difference between winning and losing.

Heytvelt spells GU

SAN DIEGO � Gonzaga didn't have its A game � maybe not even its C game � but the Bulldogs played a substantial amount of 'D' in the second half, they saw a glimpse of the old Josh Heytvelt and they made free throws in the last nine minutes.

Zags get semifinals date with Broncos

SAN DIEGO � Gonzaga will begin the West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament where it left off in the regular season.

What ever happened to Josh Heytvelt, anyway?

SAN DIEGO � By finding overdrive on the on-ramp to the West Coast Conference tournament, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have shelved � temporarily at least � the most popular and angst-laden parlor game of 2008.

It's Dons or Broncos

SAN DIEGO � Gonzaga will meet No. 4-seeded Santa Clara or No. 5 San Francisco in the West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament semifinals.

GU women advance

SAN DIEGO � This wasn't your typical No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 in a conference tournament opener. The top-seeded Gonzaga women's basketball team defeated Pepperdine twice during the regular season, but neither was easy.

GU soph Bowman is heart and soul of Zags

The focal point of the Bulldogs is truly the focal point of the Bulldogs. Heather Bowman may be the MVP and leading scorer in the West Coast Conference, but she is a target for more than passes from her Gonzaga teammates.

Bulldogs wrap up eighth straight WCC title

Gonzaga wasn't in the mood to share.The Bulldogs scored the first 12 points and cruised past Santa Clara 88-54 Monday night, wrapping up an outright West Coast Conference men's basketball championship and sending seniors David Pendergraft and Abdullahi Kuso out on a winning note in their final home game before an appreciative audience of 6,000 at McCarthey Athletic Center.

Bulldogs sweep awards

Gonzaga wasn't quite perfect during the West Coast Conference women's basketball season and the postseason doesn't start until Thursday when the top-seeded Bulldogs meet Pepperdine.

Zags try to tame Broncos

Sophomore guard Matt Bouldin rattled off three reasons why Gonzaga should be highly motivated for tonight's regular-season finale against Santa Clara.

Area women: Bulldogs romp past Gaels

Heather Bowman scored a game-high 20 points and Courtney Vandersloot finished with a double-double � 15 points, game-high 11 rebounds � to propel the Gonzaga Bulldogs to a 79-63 victory over the Saint Mary's Gaels in West Coast Conference play Saturday in Moraga, Calif.

Zags clinch another WCC title

NCAA tournament resumes, Bracketology and bubbles aren't big in Gonzaga coach Mark Few's vocabulary.

John Blanchette: Pargo, Zags defend their turf

Here's a head fake from Jeremy Pargo we didn't bite on earlier this week, during the angst-filled run-up to the Battle of the Bottom of the Top 25 between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's:

Zags, Gaels play for share of championship

Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few was visiting with Portland State counterpart Ken Bone outside the Bulldogs' locker room following GU's win over Portland at the Chiles Center on Monday.

Chatwood's blasts lead GU

Standing just 5-foot-7 and weighing, maybe, a biscuit more than 160 pounds, Jason Chatwood is hardly your prototypical power hitter.

Bowman scores 30 for Zags

Heather Bowman scored 30 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the Gonzaga Bulldogs to an 80-71 West Coast Conference women's basketball victory over the Santa Clara Broncos at Santa Clara, Calif.

Center Court: David Pendergraft as the ultimate Zag

The Gonzaga-San Diego game had been over for 30 minutes when Bulldogs senior forward David Pendergraft approached first-year Toreros coach and former GU assistant Bill Grier in a hallway inside the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Pilots give Zags a fit

PORTLAND � The final score was to Gonzaga's liking. The first 30 minutes, not so much. Gonzaga rallied past upset-minded Portland 73-51 before a crowd of 4,527 at the Chiles Center on Monday night, a result that didn't seem to correspond with how the West Coast Conference men's basketball game was unfolding deep into the second half.

Pilots' Nik similar to big brother Derek

PORTLAND � No matter the sport or activity � basketball, bikes, football or video games � if there was a score to be kept or a time to beat, the Raivio brothers would go at it full throttle. They might not have realized it at the time, but those 1-on-1 games on the backyard court made both Derek and Nik better players.

Bulldogs coach still has plenty of work left

Mark Few protested. He suggested alternatives, ranging from assistant coaches to players. He tried to deflect the attention elsewhere.

Bulldogs survive

SAN DIEGO � It was the kind of game where a couple of West Coast Conference player-of-the-year candidates couldn't buy a field goal and a 90-percent free-throw shooter clanked a pair after a technical foul. The kind of game where both offenses never were in sync and neither team could make enough baskets to sustain a game-turning run.

Bulldogs run past Dons

SAN FRANCISCO � It's an old line, that the turning point of the game was the opening tip. Gonzaga waited a bit longer than that. About 16 seconds, to be precise.

Climbing the wall

SAN FRANCISCO � One could never tell by glancing at his statistics, but Gonzaga's Austin Daye ran into the so-called wall that college freshmen supposedly encounter as they adjust from the shorter high school basketball season.

Zag fans blast uniform choice

We teeter on the outer edge of a perfect storm.Tonight at 5, the Gonzaga Bulldogs play at the University of San Francisco, which means there's a 50-50 chance that the Zags will dress out in their heat-seeking red road uniforms rather than the more soothing navy blue.

Color Zags winners

Pink became red at McCarthey Athletic Center Thursday night.On Think Pink night, an occasion to raise awareness of breast cancer, the Gonzaga women's basketball team embarrassed San Francisco 90-42.

Area Roundup: Pargo earns WCC honor

Gonzaga men's basketball player Jeremy Pargo was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week after leading the Bulldogs to home victories over Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount.

Morrison on schedule

The game certainly wasn't much to look at, so Adam Morrison took the opportunity to pick somebody's brain.

Elliott provides steady hand for GU

As the consummate team player, Michelle Elliott wanted to build something.As a fierce competitor, she wanted to win.

Gonzaga completes homestand by routing Lions

For Gonzaga, the regular-season finish line is approaching fast, with just five games remaining. That means there isn't much time left to even out the wrinkles as the Bulldogs pursue an eighth straight West Coast Conference title and try to hit the postseason with momentum.

One-sided win

There really isn't much question that a sizable gulf exists between the top teams and the bottom teams in the West Coast Conference.

All the Zags have to be go-to guys

Perhaps as well as any basketball coach, Gonzaga's Mark Few knows the pluses and minuses of having an offense that relies on one or two primary scorers and one that relies on balance.

Freshman answers call for Bulldogs

Gonzaga freshman guard Steven Gray's cell phone isn't working and he's in no hurry to get it fixed, so he doesn't know how many calls or text messages he received after he made two free throws Saturday to force overtime against Santa Clara.

Gaels outlast Zags

MORAGA, Calif. – Forty minutes wasn't enough to decide this West Coast Conference men's basketball thriller.

Bulldogs halfway to conference perfection

Gonzaga sent a message Saturday afternoon, reaching the midpoint of the West Coast Conference women's basketball schedule with a perfect record.

Bulldogs prevail in 2OT

SANTA CLARA, Calif. � The inbounds pass was in midair and the ball was headed toward the opposite free-throw line, some 65 feet away from Gonzaga's basket. The Bulldogs trailed by two points with just a few seconds left and junior point guard Jeremy Pargo couldn't help but think the worst.

Broncos don't figure

SANTA CLARA, Calif. � The numbers don't quite add up.Crunch Santa Clara's statistics and it would appear the Broncos are a top 75 team, perhaps top 50. In six key statistical categories, Santa Clara ranks in the top one-third of Division I schools and much higher in field-goal percentage (16th nationally), 3-point percentage (29th), scoring defense (43rd) and rebounding (53rd).

Slam dunk! Zags rout Pilots, take WCC lead

There was no post-Memphis haze, no second-half letdown and it was no contest on the boards.All the pre-tipoff worries Gonzaga had entering Monday's West Coast Conference basketball game dissolved quickly as the Bulldogs went up big in the first half and stayed on the throttle while dismantling the Portland Pilots 79-41 before a sellout crowd of 6,000 at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Memphis blues again

MEMPHIS � Gonzaga has yet to put together 40 minutes of consistent basketball in a game, but often this season 30-35 minutes has been enough to claim a victory.

Zags try luck at No. 1 Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. � There is little question Gonzaga has improved the last three weeks, winning six straight games with a relatively healthy roster.

Depth defines Tigers

Memphis men's basketball coach John Calipari was on a 20-minute conference call Tuesday morning and only a couple of times did the conversation turn to Tulsa, the team the Tigers defeated Wednesday, or Gonzaga, which visits the FedEx Forum on Saturday.

Bulldogs forward slowly returns to form

Gonzaga junior forward Josh Heytvelt has played in eight games since recovering from foot surgery. He's averaging 11.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and was shooting better than 50 percent before making just 1 of 6 shots in Monday's win over San Francisco.

Gonzaga denies Dons

Eddie Sutton has won 799 games in his 37-year college coaching career, but he hasn't had much luck against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Frenzied Finish: Zags clutch after Toreros cut into lead

First Bill Grier came back and then so did his San Diego Toreros. Gonzaga scored the first 15 points of the game and cruised to a 21-point lead midway through the second half, but San Diego, with considerable help from the Bulldogs, made GU squirm in the final two minutes before falling 80-70 in front of a sellout crowd of 6,000 Saturday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Grier reluctantly visits other family

Three minutes to tipoff and no Bill Grier.He had spent a week in fairly intense dread of this game and nine months before that knowing the dread was en route. He would later call the experience "like a root canal, honestly." He acknowledged that his hopes veered wildly from a program-establishing win to not having the Kennel Club chant "Up by thir-ty!" at him.

Bulldogs coast past Waves

MALIBU, Calif. � Layups, putbacks, dunks, easy transition baskets, 3-pointers and more layups � and that was just in the first 8 minutes.

Zags roll in WCC opener

LOS ANGELES � Loyola Marymount men's basketball coach Rodney Tention stressed earlier this week that his team needed to keep the score in the 60s to have a chance against Gonzaga.

Gaels next to challenge

Several programs have surfaced over the past decade to challenge Gonzaga's domination of men's basketball in the West Coast Conference. Pepperdine was a consistent threat from the late 1990s through 2002. San Diego has made runs.

John Blanchette: Be nice if GU wasn't in league of own

Has Gonzaga become hazardous to the health of the West Coast Conference?Hey, someone had to ask.

Zags open WCC against Lion cubs

LOS ANGELES � Rodney Tention has no desire to become a two-sport coach.He has plenty of work on his hands trying to rebuild Loyola Marymount men's basketball team, which entertains Gonzaga tonight at Gersten Pavilion in a West Coast Conference opener for both teams. The young Lions are 3-13 in Tention's third season as head coach and have fought a season-long battle with turnovers.

WCC capsules

Following, in predicted order of finish, are summaries of all the WCC men's basketball teams. (Current records in parentheses.)

WCC season to tip off

Gonzaga men's basketball has owned the West Coast Conference the past decade. This season Saint Mary's may have something to say about that.

Gonzaga wins despite rocky twist at end

For some of the longest stretches of the season, Gonzaga seemed more in sync at both ends of the court while posting a 75-67 victory over Georgia on Saturday.

Gonzaga's work in progress resumes

The calendar says Gonzaga is closing in on the midpoint of the season and its West Coast Conference opener is just a week away. The reality is the Bulldogs' roster in its current form is roughly three weeks old and the team is a work in progress.

Zags-Georgia on KAYU

Gonzaga University's men's basketball game on Saturday against the University of Georgia at the Arena will be televised by KAYU-TV Fox 28 in the Spokane area.

Rescuing the Bulldogs

Without Josh Heytvelt in the first half and Matt Bouldin in the second half, the Gonzaga Bulldogs probably would be without their 10th win of the season.

Content Giacoletti facing former Utah team tonight

It's not that Ray Giacoletti recommends being fired. Who would? It's humiliating, insulting, devastating.

John Blanchette: 'A' game abandons Bulldogs

SEATTLE � A quick poll: Who among you sized up Gonzaga's 2008 schedule and picked out the upcoming Utah and Georgia games as the pivotal, must-have resume-polishers?

Zags sunk in Seattle

SEATTLE � For Gonzaga, the second half of the Battle in Seattle was more of a battle to keep from getting blown out.

Bulldogs will battle for a big victory

SEATTLE � By this time last season, Gonzaga had wins over nationally ranked North Carolina, Texas and Washington.

Zags regain health

It didn't take long for Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few to add up the number of practices he's had all of his players available.

GU box score

For Friday, December 21, 2007.

Sooners wait until later to upset Zags

OKLAHOMA CITY � Gonzaga is getting healthier, but the second half of Thursday night's game against Oklahoma made Bulldogs coach Mark Few feel a bit queasy.

Ford return gives GU fond memories

Time has only reinforced Mark Few's opinion. When the Bulldogs knocked off Oklahoma State in 2004, Few called it as "impressive a regular-season effort as we've ever had."

Gonzaga notebook: Together at last

The return of Steven Gray on Monday gave Gonzaga its first chance to see its three highly-touted freshmen on the court together in a regular-season game.

Gray shines in debut

The timing of Steven Gray's broken wrist in an exhibition game in early November was unfortunate, but the timing of his return was just about ideal for the Gonzaga University men's basketball team.

Rest follows rout

Matt Bouldin wouldn't mind getting rid of the cold that's been hounding him since Gonzaga's trip to Anchorage. Jeremy Pargo has a couple of important finals early next week.

GU plays surging CS Northridge

The Gonzaga men's basketball team, minus Theo Davis, returns to action against Cal State Northridge (6-1), which is off to its best start in nearly two decades, tonight at 5 at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Cougs heel Dogs: Defense gives WSU the edge

Washington State kept it simple in its men's basketball showdown with Gonzaga on Wednesday night: Patiently work for quality shots and challenge every offensive look.

Cougs-Zags: 'a huge deal'

Find your game. It sounded a little like an old advertisement for a brand of golf clubs, which is somewhat appropriate since Tony Bennett has a formidable golf swing.

John Blanchette: Time to resume something that's right for the area

Has there ever been a more unlikely hero in a basketball game than Duane Ranniger?

Bulldogs snarl at fatigue

BOSTON � Junior guard Jeremy Pargo was asked why Gonzaga wasn't feeling fatigued, given that the team had just endured a five-game, nine-day stretch of basketball.

gonzaga-uconn stats

For Sunday, December 02, 2007.

Road-weary Gonzaga, UConn battle in Boston

BOSTON � Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun generously offered to play tour guide for Gonzaga's well-traveled men's basketball team on its two-game East Coast swing.

Bulldogs never doubt

PHILADELPHIA � Gonzaga was down by six with 3 minutes and 37 seconds left when the Bulldogs huddled during a timeout. The 3,200 crammed inside Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, loud from the start, had never been louder, sensing a ranked opponent was on the ropes.

Zags expect another dilly in Philly

PHILADELPHIA � At last count, Saint Joseph's basketball coach Phil Martelli said 17 NBA scouts have requested credentials for tonight's game against No. 19 Gonzaga.

Bulldogs answer Few's challenges

ANCHORAGE � Gonzaga's Abdullahi Kuso got on the elevator at the team hotel Saturday and received a message from head coach Mark Few about taking shots on his own terms.

Offense fails Zags

ANCHORAGE, Alaska � For the second night, Gonzaga had the support of the majority of the 8,000-fans, but this time the Bulldogs didn't give the fans much reason to cheer.

Bulldogs eke it out

ANCHORAGE, Alaska � The adversity kept mounting for the Gonzaga men's basketball team. The foul trouble to key players. The errant free-throw and 3-point shooting.

Avalanche of talent at Shootout

It's business as usual for Eastern Washington. Business is about to pick up for Gonzaga. Both men's basketball programs are in Anchorage for the Great Alaska Shootout.

Gonzaga extends trends in third win

It's just three games, but some trends appear to be emerging for the Gonzaga men's basketball team.

Bulldogs awaken

As wake-up calls go, this one lasted a long time. Somewhere around 25 minutes, even longer if you count warm-ups.

Zags soar

Battered, but far from beaten.Gonzaga, which was hit recently with a wave of difficult news, learning that Josh Heytvelt and Steven Gray will have surgery within the next 48 hours and Theo Davis' father is gravely ill in Toronto, relied on its considerable depth and the steady hands of guards Jeremy Pargo and Matt Bouldin to dismantle Montana 77-54 Sunday in front of a sellout crowd of 6,000 at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Gut aches aside, Bulldogs make do

Every Gonzaga basketball season seems to begin with mood disturbances that border on the bipolar. Sometimes there's another jolt in the middle, too.

Beat-up Zags host revved-up Grizzlies

Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few has read and seen enough to know his Bulldogs face a significant challenge today from the Montana Grizzlies.

Zags exhibit swagger

Several accomplished men's basketball programs across the nation have had troubles dealing with NCAA Division II opponents over the last week. In the first half Wednesday, Gonzaga experienced similar difficulties against D-II Emporia State.

New game in town

Ira Brown brings some unique qualities to the Gonzaga men's basketball team. A 97-mph fastball. A 365-pound bench press. A YouTube highlight from his junior-college days in which he jumps over an opposing player and dunks. And a birth certificate that was issued seven years before some of his teammates'.

Injured Morrison remains upbeat

CHARLOTTE, N.C. � An hour before the Charlotte Bobcats' season opener Friday night, Adam Morrison was at his locker dressed in a suit.

One Krazy night

Gonzaga true freshman guard Steven Gray had been waiting for this for two years. He hadn't been to a GU home game or felt the noise generated at the McCarthey Athletic Center during the recruiting process.

Heytvelt's return takes longer than expected

It appears the timetable for Gonzaga University basketball forward Josh Heytvelt's return to practice will be pushed back.

Gonzaga immersed in depth

At the outset of every season, Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few tends to have a fairly concrete idea of his starters, rotations and who might redshirt.

A real come-back

The issuing of practice gear is generally a routine procedure at college basketball programs across the country. Established veterans barely raise an eye during the process.

Dickau seeks long-term home with Clippers

PORTLAND � It's good to be wanted, Dan Dickau thinks one week into his new job, point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Zags' opening practice may be without Heytvelt, Pendergraft

The Gonzaga men's basketball team is scheduled to open practice Friday at 7 p.m., but a couple of players might be spectators or see limited duty.

Point guard Goodson commits to Gonzaga

Point guard Demetri Goodson, ranked in the top 150 for the class of 2008 by several basketball recruiting services, has orally committed to Gonzaga.

Summer school

Gonzaga University's Jeremy Pargo and Matt Bouldin are a little past the age at which they're required to write "What I did on summer break" papers when they returned to school.

Ex-Zag Frahm signs with Suns

The Phoenix Suns have added former Gonzaga guard Richie Frahm to their training camp roster.

Zags set tough schedule

Gonzaga is guaranteed of meeting at least three teams that played in last year's NCAA Tournament, the school announced while releasing its 2007-08 men's basketball schedule on Thursday.

Heytvelt works toward return

Suspended GU basketball standout Josh Heytvelt has completed nearly 300 hours of community service � 57 1/4 hours more than was required when he entered a diversion program.

Area Roundup: ESPN has 12 GU dates

The Gonzaga men's basketball team will make at least 12 appearances on the ESPN family of stations this upcoming season, while the Bulldogs women will appear for the third time in the past two seasons.

WCC tournaments could be Vegas-bound

The West Coast Conference is exploring the possibility of holding its men's and women's basketball tournaments at a neutral site in Las Vegas, possibly as early as 2009.

Fews announce success

Last weekend's Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Classic & BasketBALL Gala, hosted by Gonzaga University men's basketball coach Mark Few and his wife, Marcy, raised more than $750,000 in support of cancer research.

USD's new architect

A great university, a fabulous city and wonderful people. As the first-year head men's basketball coach at the University of San Diego, Bill Grier has plenty to sell to recruits. But his biggest hook?

Having a good time

Dan Dickau wasn't about to let a little thing like job insecurity interfere with having some fun Thursday at the Toyota All-American's Charity Classic he hosted along with Adam Morrison.

NBA's traveling man

The Dan Dickau trade count meter is up to eight, the most recent perhaps testing the former Gonzaga All-American's spirits more than the previous seven.

Area Roundup: U.S. to play for gold

Gonzaga University's Matt Bouldin scored two points in 10 minutes in the USA U-19 Men's 78-75 semifinal win over France at the 2007 FIBA U-19 World Championships Saturday.

Gibbs verbally commits to Gonzaga

Grant Gibbs, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound point guard and top-100 recruit from Marion, Iowa, has made an oral commitment to play basketball for Gonzaga University in 2008.

Bouldin makes key shot in USA win

Gonzaga's Matt Bouldin scored eight points, including a crucial late jumper, to help the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team (3-0) defeat host Serbia 82-78.

Area roundup: Zags draw UConn

Connecticut will play Gonzaga and Providence will face Boston College in the second annual Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge in Boston's TD Banknorth Garden on Dec. 1. tournament officials announced Tuesday from Springfield, Mass.

Fast Break

Gonzaga's Matt Bouldin was named to the 12-man USA Basketball U-19 team, the organization announced Saturday from Dallas.

Fast Break

Gonzaga will take on Tennessee in the Battle in Seattle next basketball season, according to John Hines of Northwest Sports Entertainment.

GU, RMHC extend Classic, set big goal

Gonzaga University and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane made it official Thursday, signing an agreement to continue the Ronald McDonald Charities Classic.

Morrison offers hope

WASHINGTON � The Charlotte Bobcats' Adam Morrison said Monday that playing in the NBA with diabetes was slightly harder than during his college career at Gonzaga.

Back on home floor

The Brazilian Beast � or most of him, at least � has returned. J.P. Batista is back in town after playing professionally in Lithuania last winter.

Two Gonzaga players won't return

Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes and David Burgess will not return to the Gonzaga University men's basketball team next season.

mark few, final four

ATLANTA � Mark Few remembers the days when he could breeze through the hotel lobby during the National Association of Basketball Coaches' convention without having to break stride.

Life-long assistant Grier fulfilling lifelong ambition

Here's the thing: with each opening he didn't pursue, each opportunity he had presented to him, Bill Grier found it more difficult.

Grier, Toreros a match

The University of San Diego will hold a press conference this afternoon to introduce former Gonzaga University assistant Bill Grier as its new men's basketball head coach.

Familiar face set to join GU staff

Mark Few looked neither far nor long to find a qualified successor to Bill Grier as the top assistant on his Gonzaga University men's basketball coaching staff.

Toreros want Grier

Sources confirmed Saturday that Gonzaga University assistant Bill Grier has been offered the head men's basketball coaching job at the University of San Diego.

Bulldogs look back and forth

Gonzaga University coach Mark Few has never been one to hurriedly or off-handedly dispose of a basketball season or basketball team.

NBA : Wallace, Morrison spark Bobcats' OT win

Gerald Wallace had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Adam Morrison hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime and the Charlotte Bobcats beat Cleveland 108-100 Tuesday night in Charlotte.

Zags' up-and-down season ends with huge downer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. � The Gonzaga Bulldogs had been playing with a small margin for error, yet somehow surviving, for several weeks heading into this year's NCAA tournament.

GU notebook : Out of character

SACRAMENTO, Calif. � The Gonzaga Bulldogs weren't themselves Thursday night � at least at the offensive end of the floor.

John Blanchette: Zags reached peak but had nothing left when it arrived

SACRAMENTO, Calif. � There's been a lot of amateur discussion this week about how the NCAA tournament needs tweaking.

Heytvelt first drug suspect in program

Prosecutors say GU's Josh Heytvelt received no special treatment. But Heytvelt is the only felony drug suspect from Spokane County ever approved for the diversion program.

By the numbers

For Friday, March 16, 2007.

Box Score

Indiana 70, Gonzaga 57

Zags leery of Indiana's big fella, but hot-shooting guards also a big threat

SACRAMENTO, Calif. � It has been quite some time since the Gonzaga Bulldogs have faced a post player as skilled, productive and efficient as Indiana's D.J. White.

Making the most of tough spot

SACRAMENTO, Calif. � The rebounds became tougher to grab, the points a tad harder to come by and the blocked shots dropped significantly.

John Blanchette: Befuddled Few watches ax fall on colleagues

Mark Few told someone the other day that this Gonzaga basketball season felt like a dog year � seven years in one.

Bulldogs will need to collar White

In Mark Few's opinion, only the name of his Gonzaga Bulldogs' first-round NCAA tournament opponent is familiar.

Rise of Downs

The question was posed to Micah Downs on Sunday, shortly after he and his Gonzaga University teammates had learned the NCAA had awarded them a No. 10 seed in the West Region of its prestigious postseason men's college basketball tournament.

GU closer to home and with better seed than expected

The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee surprised a lot of people, including several members of the Gonzaga University men's basketball team, on Sunday by awarding the West Coast Conference champion Bulldogs a No. 10 seed in the West Region of this year's postseason spectacle.

Heytvelt, Davis won't return for tournament

The indefinite suspensions handed down to Gonzaga University basketball players Josh Heytvelt and Theo Davis will definitely last the rest of the season.

No doubt about it

PORTLAND � In the opinion of Gonzaga's David Pendergraft, this year's team has belonged to Derek Raivio since the season started.

Bulldogs dispatch Toreros

PORTLAND, Ore. – Wanna be a hero? Take a number. That seems to be the approach the Gonzaga Bulldogs are taking to the latter stages of this unsettled college basketball season. And it was David Pendergraft who became the latest Zag to respond to having his number called on Sunday evening.

John Blanchette: No small feat for 'new' Zags to have rallied

PORTLAND � OK, so it's not quite the "Hoosiers" heroics of Ollie and his granny-style free throws. But the concept's the same.

Tourney time for GU

PORTLAND � Coach Mark Few and his Gonzaga Bulldogs pride themselves in having to take every opponent's best shot every time they step on the basketball court.

Toreros, Pilots win openers

PORTLAND � Ross DeRogatis had 22 points and San Diego beat Pepperdine 95-82 Friday night in the first round of West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament.

He enjoys being along for the ride

In his two seasons as a member of the Gonzaga University men's basketball team, Andrew Sorenson has logged a mere 17 minutes of playing time.

Raivio shares POY honors

Did this year's West Coast Conference men's basketball awards merit a recount? One of the winners wondered as much Tuesday.

WCC champs

SAN DIEGO, Calif. � Derek Raivio couldn't bear the thought of having another streak go down in flames on his watch.

GU still has a shot at WCC title

SAN DIEGO, Calif. � The chase, thanks to an unexpected assist from Loyola Marymount, is over for the University of Gonzaga men's basketball team.

Team effort lifts Bulldogs

SAN FRANCISCO � With the end of a long, taxing and often complex regular season on the immediate horizon, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have managed to boil the sometimes complicated game of college basketball down to the most basic of approaches:

Free throws mean free points

SAN FRANCISCO � Gonzaga's Derek Raivio might finish his career as the most accurate free-throw shooter in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.

Bulldogs focus like underdogs

The Gonzaga Bulldogs, apparently in full embrace of the underdog role they insist they have recently inherited, close out one of the strangest and most unpredictable regular seasons in recent memory with a difficult West Coast Conference men's basketball road trip to the Bay Area and San Diego.

Castellitto sets GU mark

Mark Castellitto hit a school-record three doubles Thursday as the Gonzaga University baseball team defeated Texas Arlington (3-6) 12-1 in the opening day of the Southwest Diamond Classic at Frisco, Texas.

Heytvelt denied mushrooms were his, police say

Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor John Grasso officially charged Gonzaga University basketball player Josh Heytvelt on Tuesday with felony possession of a controlled substance.

Bulldogs floor Pilots

Mark Few had plenty of praise for his Gonzaga Bulldogs following Monday night's 87-67 men's basketball rout of West Coast Conference rival Portland.

Raivio, Mallon face home finale

Considering all that their fickle final season of college basketball has already thrown at them, it would have been foolish for Sean Mallon and Derek Raivio to assume their Senior Night celebration would play out as originally planned.

Memphis blues

Dazed by yet another kick-to-the-stomach reunion with the adversity that has revisited them far too many times this year, the Gonzaga Bulldogs responded admirably again Saturday night.

Even in loss, inspired Zags looked like Zags again

This is why Spokane fell in love with the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first place. Yes, all that winning and the March magic consummated the marriage, but the heart of the matter was something very much little-engine-that-could-ish � the irresistible rise of an underdog with belief and passion and will against the pedigreed programs of college basketball, and not without some basketball gifts of its own.

New-look Zags face new-look Tigers

The Gonzaga Bulldogs, who are still in the process of learning to cope with the absence of Josh Heytvelt, face, perhaps, their sternest test of a torturous and troubled season this afternoon when they entertain No. 8 Memphis in the Ronald McDonald House Charities Classic in the sold-out Spokane Arena.

Prosecutor: Decision near on GU arrests

Police reports documenting the arrests of two Gonzaga University basketball players last week in Cheney were delivered Friday to the Spokane County prosecutor's office.

It looked good on paper

When first scheduled, Saturday's Ronald McDonald House of Charities Classic between Memphis and Gonzaga at the Spokane Arena seemed like a perfect NCAA tournament tune-up for both teams.

Few talks to press but keeps players silent

Gonzaga's Mark Few, in the wake of the media frenzy surrounding the weekend drug-possession arrests and indefinite suspensions of Bulldogs players Josh Heytvelt and Theo Davis, put his team members off limits during Wednesday's weekly prepractice media day gathering in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

GU players' release investigated

The commander of the Spokane County Jail said he is investigating why his staff gave preferential treatment to two Gonzaga University basketball players Saturday by allowing them to be picked up from an area normally restricted to law enforcement.

Experience fuels Mackey's call for help

Another day, another town, another ballgame for Kevin Mackey.And another reminder.

GU streak: 50 & over

It became fairly apparent early on that Gonzaga University's nation's best home-court winning streak was history.

Drug busts a harsh toke for GU

All right, now. Everybody chill out!So a couple of Ganjaga University basketball players are allegedly linked to a pittance of pot and some magic mushrooms.

GU issue has blogs abuzz

It's just a symptom of our society, I guess.It's the Nancy-Grace-who's-at-fault-rush- to-judgment culture we live in now.

Santa Clara win was no fluke

Don't even think about an asterisk. It was a Big Monday that quickly morphed into Black Monday, an inferable if not welcome coda to Gonzaga's lost weekend.

Drug busts a shock, but use common

When two Gonzaga University basketball players were arrested on suspicion of drug possession over the weekend, administrators at the college said it came as a shock.

It's over

Gonzaga University's 50-game home basketball winning streak, the nation's longest, ended Monday night at the hands of Santa Clara University.

Zags confront rocky road

Could this be the night it all ends?Certainly, considering the caliber of the opponent and everything the Gonzaga University men's basketball team has been forced to deal with the past two days.

Ready or not, Bulldogs have more games to play

Not to distract anyone from the important work of getting on with the civic stupor over Zags, drugs and the pick-and-roll, but there is another game tonight.

GU arrests bring shock, acceptance

Fallout, in the form of reactions from current players, future Bulldogs and even a sporting goods sales clerk, continued to drift down on the Gonzaga University men's basketball program after Saturday's suspension of two players arrested on drug possession charges.

Misadventure strikes Gonzaga

The home-court winning streak survives. And the goody-two-Nikes reputation? We'll have to get back to you on that.

Stellar defense stifles Saint Mary's

Adversity can sometimes act as a magnificent bonding agent.It did exactly that for the Gonzaga University men's basketball team Saturday, helping the Bulldogs cap an otherwise lousy day with a crucial 60-49 West Coast Conference win over Saint Mary's.

Bulldogs suspend Heytvelt

Two Gonzaga University men's basketball players, including starting sophomore forward and rebounding leader Josh Heytvelt, have been suspended indefinitely after being arrested on drug possession charges late Friday in Cheney.

Zags looking to avenge loss

The Gonzaga Bulldogs get a chance to set things right with their loyal fans � and in their own minds, as well � when they host Saint Mary's College today.

Fast Break

A Washington record walleye was caught in the Columbia River Monday by Mike Hepper of Richland.

A lost weekend for Gonzaga sophomore

Gonzaga's recent three-game road trip to California proved to be a dramatically mixed bag for GU and Jeremy Pargo, the Bulldogs personable sophomore point guard.

A WCC stunner

LOS ANGELES � Loyola Marymount shook up the West Coast Conference title race in a big way Monday night, stunning league-leading Gonzaga 67-61 in front of a national television audience and a small, but vocal crowd of 3,815 at Gertsen Pavilion.

Streaking Zags head to Loyola Marymount

LOS ANGELES � Gonzaga coach Mark Few insists that complacency should not be an issue when his Bulldogs venture into Gersten Pavilion tonight to take on another West Coast Conference bottom feeder in Loyola Marymount.

Heytvelt leads way as Zags level Waves

MALIBU, Calif. � Vance Walberg didn't even bother with trying search out a superlative to describe the play of Gonzaga's Josh Heytvelt on Saturday.

Gonzaga takes on Waves

MALIBU, Calif. � First-year Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg knows his young and struggling men's basketball team has plenty of limitations.

John Blanchette: Zags need to be as tough as schedule

Here they go again. Five games in 10 days. Two more round-trip flights and another 3,400 air miles � on top of the 18,000 they've logged already. Another Top 25 opponent.

Bennett's deal draws attention

PULLMAN � Washington State University athletic director Jim Sterk indicated Tuesday that he would attempt to revise basketball coach Tony Bennett's contract.

Victim No. 49

The Gonzaga Bulldogs used veteran-like performances from several of its younger players Monday night to offset some early rebounding indifference and turn back the University of San Diego 91-82 in a grinder of a West Coast Conference men's basketball game.

Zags look to remain top dog

The Gonzaga Bulldogs, for the first time this season, will have first place in the West Coast Conference men's basketball standings all to themselves when they entertain the University of San Diego in the McCarthey Athletic Center tonight at 9.

Zags alone in first

Matt Bouldin welcomed back his missing perimeter jump shot Saturday night.

John Blanchette: Zags look a lot better with freshman Bouldin in sync

Oh-for-2007.Officially, that made Matt Bouldin the worst 3-point shooter in the West Coast Conference, which of course is a statistic and a damned lie.

Bulldogs home for dangerous Dons

Gonzaga will try to build on the nation's longest home-court winning streak this afternoon when they entertain San Francisco.

Fast Break

You rarely see an empty seat in the student section at Gonzaga men's basketball games.

Kuso likes family atmosphere at GU

Abdullahi Kuso, a 6-foot-9, 228-pound junior , has carved out a seemingly comfortable niche as a backup forward for Gonzaga.

Zags bounce back

PORTLAND � Sean Mallon was on a mission Monday night.Gonzaga's fifth-year senior wanted desperately to erase the memory of the dreadful one-point, one-rebound effort he turned in a week earlier in a disappointing West Coast Conference road loss to Saint Mary's.

Zags look to right ship when they face Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. � Not much was expected from the University of Portland men's basketball team this winter.

Bulldogs search for solid solutions

Gonzaga coach Mark Few had hoped the turning back a late-game challenge from Santa Clara in last Saturday's 77-69 road win would be something to build on.

Around the WCC

Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who picked up his 200th career win at Santa Clara on Saturday night, also earned milestone wins No. 50 and No. 150 against the Broncos.

Bulldogs beaten by Gael force

MORAGA, Calif. � Saint Mary's did something Monday night in McKeon Pavilion that no West Coast Conference team has been able to do in almost two years.

Heytvelt's 'return' energizes Gonzaga

SANTA CLARA, Calif. � Micah Downs made his long-awaited and much-anticipated debut for Gonzaga University Saturday night.

Zags have big task at Santa Clara

SANTA CLARA, Calif. � The teams with the best overall records in the West Coast Conference square off this evening in the Leavey Center.

Downs cleared to take the court

There is a chance that Kansas transfer Micah Downs could see his first action for Gonzaga this weekend when the Bulldogs travel to the Bay Area.

Around the WCC

Gonzaga's Mark Few, in just his eighth season as a head coach, will be going for career win No. 200 Saturday.

Zags get upper hand on Waves

It was a game in which the Gonzaga Bulldogs never seemed truly threatened. But Monday night's 69-52 West Coast Conference victory over Pepperdine before 6,000 at the McCarthey Athletic Center didn't ever seem safe, either.

Zags too strong inside for Waves

Pepperdine brought its run-and-gun road show � minus the run part � into the McCarthey Athletic Center Monday night hoping to end the nation's longest home-court winning streak.

Fast and furious Waves roll into town

Any college basketball team that runs up close to one hundred points, like the Gonzaga Bulldogs did in Saturday's 97-62 West Coast Conference romp past Loyola Marymount, is comfortable playing fast.

GU women crush Waves

MALIBU, Calif. � Stephanie Hawk had a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Gonzaga women's basketball team rolled to a 58-35 victory over Pepperdine Sunday at Firestone Fieldhouse in West Coast Conference action.

No place like home for GU

Gonzaga's long-anticipated return to the McCarthey Athletic Center on Saturday seemed to have cured at least some of the problems that have dogged the Bulldogs in recent weeks.

Mallon delivered for Zags

Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo was asked about the career performance the Bulldogs' Sean Mallon had just turned in.

Zags kick off WCC with Lions

The West Coast Conference wasted no time in giving its men's basketball fans the best it has to offer.

Clark on the mend

Harv Clark, the Gonzaga Bulldogs' longtime public address announcer, will not be courtside for this afternoon's West Coast Conference opener against Loyola Marymount.

Gonzaga drops fourth straight

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. � The West Coast Conference slate couldn't get here soon enough for Gonzaga.

John Blanchette: Dr. Phil-it-up offers up advice

Announcer: "Now it's time for Dr. Phil-it-up's advice to the Zaglorn."

Virginia wary of Gonzaga

Dave Leitao, the second-year University of Virginia coach ,knows it has been a long time since the Gonzaga Bulldogs, have lost four consecutive games.

Zags outbattled

SEATTLE � Gonzaga got the finish all wrong again Saturday. ( Read the full story )

John Blanchette: Don't jump off bandwagon yet

SEATTLE � Well, the schedule is everything it was anticipated to be. And the Gonzaga Bulldogs? Maybe not so much.

Fazekas will be a load for Zags

SEATTLE � When Gonzaga coach Mark Few was trying to put together this year's Battle in Seattle last spring, Nevada's Nick Fazekas was still weighing the option of declaring for the NBA draft.

Burgess may play in Seattle

Gonzaga's David Burgess has started practicing again after being sidelined since the start of fall camp with a partially torn MCL in his right knee.

Fast Break

For fans who don't have a rooting interest during the NBA's All-Star weekend, how about this marquee matchup?

Letters

For Sunday, December 24, 2006.

No Garden party

NEW YORK � Greg Paulus had a career-high 20 points to help No. 6 Duke beat No. 22 Gonzaga 61-54 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

John Blanchette: Devils always Duke it out

NEW YORK � The better you are, the better you get at giving compliments � and Mike Krzyzewski delivered a beauty Thursday night.

Stars didn't align

NEW YORK � Better late than � what?Never being able to stop the bleeding from your eardrums?

John Blanchette: NBA a grind: Just ask Morrison

NEW YORK � It took 33 seconds for Adam Morrison to get his first shot up Wednesday night and of course it went in.

John Blanchette: Bulldogs brace for wild, woolly time in Big Apple

NEW YORK � It looks like they picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue. ( Read the full story )

Finals verdict

DULUTH, Ga. � It was a tradition neither coach Mark Few nor his Gonzaga Bulldogs were interested in seeing continue. ( Read the full story )

Georgia gorged on turnovers

DULUTH, Ga. � Twenty-one and sixteen. ( Read the full story )

Zags have Georgia on their minds

DULUTH, Ga. � If it seems like the Gonzaga Bulldogs have already dealt with a similar situation or two this season, it's because they have. ( Read the full story )

Steve Bergum: He definitely made cut with Zags

Matt Bouldin has burst upon the Gonzaga University basketball scene like few freshmen in school history. ( Read the full story )

Around the WCC

Gonzaga's Derek Raivio leads the WCC in scoring with an average of 20.4 points per game and is one of six seniors ranked among the conference's top seven scorers. ... Raivio also leads the WCC with a free-throw percentage of 94 (47 of 50). ... Santa Clara's Danny Pariseau, a former prep standout at Shadle Park and senior transfer from Eastern Washington, has played a major role in the Broncos' surprising 7-3 start by averaging 10.6 points and 3.89 assists per game and shooting 53 percent (35 of 66) from the field, including a WCC-best 52 percent (13 of 25) from 3-point range. He also leads the WCC with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.06. ... Pepperdine's current roster shows the Waves (2-8) with one center, two forwards and 13 guards. . . . Despite decent starts by GU (9-2), Santa Clara (7-3) and Loyola Marymount, the WCC is only 43-41 against non-conference foes. ( Read the full story )

Rookie slump hits Morrison

It's been a rough month for Charlotte Bobcats rookie Adam Morrison, the former Gonzaga star. ( Read the full story )

Zags make Bouldin move

Matt Bouldin's first start for the Gonzaga Bulldogs was impressive enough Saturday night. But just imagine if it's only the start. Electrified by an especially manic sellout crowd of 6,000, the freshman from suburban Denver returned the favor with a difference-making performance in the Zags' 97-77 rout of 13th-ranked Washington � not exactly the coda the Huskies might have imagined to what has been a terrific college basketball series between the schools.

Zags don't kid around

Much of the hype leading up to Saturday night's men's basketball showdown between the University of Washington and Gonzaga centered on the outstanding stable of freshmen on UW's roster.

First time out for UW pups

University of Washington men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar confessed earlier this week to having no idea what to expect from his young, but still unbeaten, Huskies tonight when they leave behind the comforts of home for the first time this season to face Gonzaga in the Bulldogs' McCarthey Athletic Center.

WSU, going away

PULLMAN � Maybe it was the two losing seasons they endured before it. Maybe it was the home crowd, bigger than any they had seen in their lives.

Opportunity time for Cougars

PULLMAN � Gonzaga will play Washington State at 7 tonight attempting to win another basketball game in the midst of an impossibly difficult stretch of December games.

Roped and tied!

PHOENIX � The fun times continued for Derek Raivio and his Gonzaga University basketball teammates Saturday afternoon.

GU guards feed off each other

PHOENIX � John Stockton and Jeff Condill. Matt Santangelo and Quintin Hall, Dan Dickau and Blake Stepp. Gonzaga has had its share of exceptional backcourt combinations.

Letters

Too much Morrison? No way! I've noticed a couple of "sour grapes" letters to the sport's editor regarding Adam Morrison. Please, to those few of you naysayers, just skip over the brief blurbs on Morrison and let those of us who certainly outnumber you enjoy reading about this electrifying young man's rookie year in a tough professional sport.

Bulldogs kick off December gantlet

PHOENIX � The Gonzaga Bulldogs kick off perhaps the most difficult December in the history of their men's basketball program today at noon when they take on Texas.

Laid-back victory

Blame it on Texas. With the Longhorns the next big-name school on their demanding schedule, Gonzaga played like a team unwilling to give away any secrets.

Slump leads to Monson's departure

MINNEAPOLIS � Dan Monson resigned as the men's basketball coach at Minnesota on Thursday.

Vikings sail into hostile territory

Ken Bone was asked if he felt his Portland State men's basketball team was prepared for the hostile environment it will face tonight when it takes on 22nd-ranked Gonzaga.

Go online to check on Zags

No. 22 Gonzaga takes on Portland State tonight at McCarthey Athletic Center. Check in with online columnist Vince Grippi, who will have pregame and postgame reports and invite readers to give their take on the game.

Morrison, Bobcats cut down Nets

Rookie Adam Morrison scored 22 points and Sean May had a career-high 20 Tuesday night in East Rutherford, N. J., as the Charlotte Bobcats beat New Jersey 96-92.

Elite Eight team favored

There's still time to vote, but the 1998-1999 Gonzaga basketball team is the clear-cut favorite of fans in our online poll.

Zags bounce back

Derek Raivio decided not to save his best for last this time.

Heavily-favored Bulldogs entertain revamped Vandals

Idaho head coach George Pfeifer knows quite a bit about the Gonzaga University men's basketball program, probably more than most of the Bulldogs' opponents.

Heat outlast Bobcats

Injuries have allowed Dwyane Wade to show another facet of his game: He's a great passer.

Butler does it

NEW YORK � For coach Mark Few and his Gonzaga Bulldogs, it's almost always about approach.

A dog-meet-dog showdown

NEW YORK � Good, smart and tough. It's a combination that no college basketball coach wants to see in an opponent. But that's exactly how Gonzaga's Mark Few describes the unbeaten and underrated Butler team that will provide the opposition for his Bulldogs in today's 4 p.

Git-R-Done!

NEW YORK � Apparently, some of the younger players on Gonzaga University's remarkable men's basketball team didn't get the memo on how they were expected to act.

Morrison steps up

Adam Morrison was answering a reporter's question when someone turned on the television, showing that North Carolina had an early 10-point lead on Gonzaga.

Zags have Carolina on mind

NEW YORK � Four games into the college basketball season, Mark Few admits he still doesn't have an accurate read on his unbeaten Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Bulldogs rout UTSA in tuneup

Any fears coach Mark Few might have had about his Gonzaga Bulldogs looking past the University of Texas at San Antonio were alleviated early Sunday night.

Roadrunners next foe for unbeaten Gonzaga

The focus of Gonzaga University's unbeaten men's basketball team will be tested this afternoon when the University of Texas at San Antonio comes to Spokane.

Zags stuff Bears

There's nothing even remotely sexy about balance. But when it's the strength of your basketball team, you go with it.

John Blanchette: It's possible these Zags have surprising possibilities

If you remember the postcards the Gonzaga Bulldogs sent back from Maui a year ago, then you remember what possibility feels like.

Morrison steps up

Adam Morrison decided to relax a little bit after putting too much pressure on himself in the first few games of his career.

Heytvelt boils Rice

Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga University's rapidly emerging sophomore star, gave Bulldog fans a few more reasons to ponder "what if" Tuesday night at the Arena.

John Blanchette: Tuesday night lacked NIT-pickers

I'm not sure when a basketball crowd of 6,841 in Spokane became a disappointment, but it was Tuesday night.

Hornets top Bobcats

Peja Stojakovic scored a career-high 42 points as the New Orleans Hornets broke a three-game losing streak with a 94-85 victory Tuesday night over the Charlotte Bobcats.