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LAS VEGAS — Nineteen years and counting.
That's how long Gonzaga men's basketball has been in a position to win a conference tournament title.
Kyle Wiltjer poured in 29 points and eight rebounds, and Damontis Sabonis added 18 points and 14 rebounds to keep Gonzaga's bid for the West Coast Conference tournament title alive with an 88-84 win over BYU in a Monday night semifinal at Orleans Arena.
"That's unbelievable. You know what I'm saying? That's crazy," Gonzaga coach Mark Few quipped when he heard his team's lengthy streak. "It was just a great, epic basketball game. When we play BYU, I can't tell you how much respect we have for them. They play so stinkin' hard and come at you for the full 40 minutes. They're so dangerous and potent; no lead is safe because they are so explosive."
Josh Perkins scored 17 points and Eric McClellan supplied 15 for the Bulldogs (25-7), who advanced to face Saint Mary's in their 19th-consecutive tournament title game at 7 p.m. MT on ESPN.
Nick Emery led BYU (23-10) with 27 points, including five 3-pointers, and Kyle Collinsworth tallied 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Cougars. Chase Fischer finished with 15 points and two assists, including a trio of late 3-pointers to give the Cougars a chance at the end.
It was a game where both teams knew what was at stake: a spot in the tourney finals, and one more day of hope that they would be selected to the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. The loser was likely out of the running for a bid — and both squads played like it.
Gonzaga exploded from the start, with Wiltjer knocking down two of his three first-half 3-pointers to give the Bulldogs a 10-3 lead less than four minutes into the game.
Gonzaga led by as many as 10 points, but BYU refused to back down. Emery hit a triple with 5:44 left in the half to cap a 7-0 run and bring BYU within three, 36-33.
After back-to-back buckets by Wiltjer and Sabonis, freshman Zac Seljaas sprang to life. The Iowa-bound future missionary scored six points during an 8-0 run to pull the Cougars back within a point, and Corbin Kaufusi flew with a buzzer-beating dunk to tie the game at 47-47 at halftime.
"I thought that it was a really competitive game," Rose said. "Both teams played really hard, and you could tell there was a lot on the line from the effort that both teams gave."
Kaufusi's dunk sent the pockets of BYU fans into a frenzy, and quieted much of the heavily pro-Gonzaga crowd of 8,362 at Orleans Arena.
"As a player, you couldn't ask for a better atmosphere to play in," Collinsworth said. "The crowd was great and the energy on the floor was great. Those atmospheres are special; you'll always remember those. It's rare to play in an atmosphere like that, so you have to cherish it and give it all you have."
BYU took just its second lead of the game when Emery opened the second half with a deep 3-pointer. Gonzaga responded with a 9-0 run to take back the lead during a 12-2 run capped by triple with 15:21 remaining to go up, 59-52.
They came out and got on us pretty quick, but we responded well and finished the half on a good run to tie it at halftime," Rose said. "The first four minutes of the second half, we had a real chance to get a lead of our own and missed a couple of shots and turned it over."
But in the heavyweight prize fight perfectly fit for the Las Vegas Strip, Gonzaga had the final blow that gave them the judge's decision.
BYU was limited the rest of the way with foul trouble. Kaufusi picked up his fourth foul midway through the second half, and Davis, Austin and Seljaas each had three fouls by the time Emery pulled the Cougars back within three, 67-64 on a jump shot with 11:37 remaining.
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"Both teams were fighting for our lives," Wiltjer said. "A lot of people don't see us as tournament teams. When it creates that environment, it creates that desperation. We were fortunate to make the right plays when we needed to. Hat's off to them; they're a great team. But we're just glad we got the win."
Fischer scored his first of three 3-pointers to pull BYU within a point, 68-67 during a 6-1 run that saw Gonzaga go scoreless on five-straight trips down the court.
But Sabonis drew four fouls each on BYU's post trio of Austin, Davis and Kaufusi before the Gonzaga standout had his second foul, and Wiltjer dropped a trey to go up 81-74 with 2:57 remaining to hold on for the win.
The Bulldogs claimed a 40-33 rebounding edge, and jumped out the loose balls faster down the stretch. Wiltjer made a diving play on a loose ball that led directly to a bucket on the other end, Gonzaga used the frenetic pace to its advantage in transition.
"This is what we live for," Perkins said. "We work out every day for moments like this. I'm just proud of my team. Hats off to my teammates and coach Few for giving me this chance to be here."
