Tough WCC Win for Gonzaga

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Gonzaga knew it, and boy, were they right on the money.

Adam Morrison and his boys were rarely challenged in the West Coast Conference (WCC) season. The tournament was an entirely different story.

After beating San Diego in overtime, Gonzaga needed a late surge, a vocal home crowd and a missed shot from point-blank range to win the WCC title and beat Loyola Marymount 68-67.

''We needed every ounce of McCarthey magic to dig that one out,'' said Gonzaga head coach Mark Few.

Gonzaga now won their 28th straight game in the two-year old McCarthey Athletic Center.

Loyola Marymount built an astounding 15-point lead and it was looking like Marymount was setting up an upset over the red-hot Gonzaga team.

Then the crowd got into it.

The crowd fueled Gonzaga to an improbable 20-7 run to tie the score at 53 with seven minutes left.

''Loyola was beating us in every facet of the game,'' coach Few said.

Both Gonzaga and Loyola Marymount were back and forth until the end when J.P. Batista tipped in a miss by Adam Morrison.

''We had the ball in the hands of the guys we wanted to execute it,'' Loyola coach Rodney Tention said. ''The shot just wasn't for us to go tonight.''

Adam Morrison and the rest of Gonzaga will now be a step closer towards NCAA College Basketball's biggest stage. Can they do it? Only one way to find out as March Madness marches on.