Gonzaga basketball isn't the powerhouse title contender this season it's been so many times during Mark Few's iconic tenure in Spokane. The fifth-seeded Bulldogs still stand to be a tough out in March Madness, though, proving as much in a dominant 86-65 win over McNeese State on Thursday—the program's 15th straight victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Few's focus from here is no doubt squared on what lies ahead for Gonzaga. But after reaching such an impressive milestone of sustained success on college basketball's brightest stage, the future Hall-of-Fame coach at least briefly allowed himself to look back on opening-round victories of the past.
“15 straight (opening round wins) is amazing,” he said, per Bryan Fischer of FOX Sports. “One of the hardest things to do is win a game in the NCAA tournament so to do it 15 times in a row is amazing and a credit to the guys.”
The Bulldogs history of consecutive first-round wins dates all the way back to 2009, when a fourth-seeded team led by Josh Heytvelt, Austin Daye and Matt Bouldin beat Akron 77-64. To whom did Gonzaga fall to open the tournament one year earlier? None other than Stephen Curry and Davidson, a game that proved the Golden State Warriors superstar's coming-out party to a national basketball audience and the beginning of the Wildcats' underdog run to the Elite Eight.
Few's team have advanced to the second round as the higher seed just twice in the last 15 seasons, a nod to Gonzaga's current status as a modern-day blue blood. The Bulldogs had four wins as the seeding underdog before then, including three straight beginning in 1999, the year before Few took the coaching reins from Dan Monson.
Gonzaga blows out McNeese State to tip off NCAA Tournament
The Bulldogs raced out to an early lead against McNeese State, going up double-digits barely more than 10 minutes after tipoff. They led 48-25 at intermission after Ryan Nembhard found Anton Watson for a dunk with six seconds left int he first half, then went up by 31 points midway through the second half on a Braden Huff jumper.
Watson stuffed the stat sheet for Gonzaga, nearly joining Illinois' Marcus Domask with a triple-double before finishing with 13 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Graham Ike led his team with 16 points while shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, one of five Bulldogs to score in double-figures. Gonzaga shot 51.7% overall and a hot 10-of-21 from deep, flexing its offensive muscle while forcing the Cowboys into ghastly 33.3% shooting on the other end of the floor.
Next up for the Zags? A second-round matchup on Saturday versus the winner of fourth-seeded Kansas and 13th-seeded Samford, with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.
Follow Us
Subscribe