Gonzaga Wins Final WCC Tournament Appearance with 79–68 Victory.

In their last season competing in the West Coast Conference (WCC), Gonzaga secured the conference tournament championship by defeating Santa Clara 79–68 in Las Vegas on March 10. The victory highlighted the program’s continued dominance under head coach Mark Few before the Bulldogs move to the Pac-12 Conference next season. Mario Saint-Supéry led Gonzaga with 21 points, while Tyon Grant-Foster added 20. Graham Ike, who earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award, contributed 15 points and made all seven of his field-goal attempts. Overall, Gonzaga shot an impressive 52.8% from the field, with four players finishing in double figures. The Bulldogs improved to a 30–3 record and earned the WCC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The championship marked Gonzaga’s sixth WCC tournament title in the last seven years and their twelfth in the past fourteen seasons, continuing a streak of conference dominance that began when Mark Few became head coach in 1999. Santa Clara kept the game competitive and briefly held a 52–50 lead midway through the second half. However, Gonzaga responded with a seven-point run that gave them a lead they would not relinquish. Christian Hammond led the Broncos with 24 points, while Allen Graves added 11. Sash Gavalyugov, who scored 23 points in Santa Clara’s semifinal win over Saint Mary’s, was limited to eight points and struggled from the field.

Santa Clara finished the season with a 26–8 record and will wait until Selection Sunday to learn whether it will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Entering the championship game, Gonzaga, Santa Clara, and Saint Mary’s were all ranked within the top 38 of the NCAA’s NET rankings, giving the WCC a strong chance of earning three tournament bids. Although Gonzaga’s move to the Pac-12 next season will bring new conference competition against teams such as San Diego State, Boise State, and Utah State, the Bulldogs remain focused on their upcoming NCAA Tournament appearance. Coach Mark Few emphasized that while conference titles are important, the program’s ultimate goal is success on the national stage.