SEATTLE — As expected, Gonzaga University took care of business on Friday night.
Perhaps unexpectedly, it was a lot tougher than anyone in Zag Nation — and perhaps even the Bulldogs themselves — anticipated when they tipped off against North Dakota State University.
Though second-seeded Gonzaga used a 12-0 run midway through the first half to go on top to stay, 15th-seeded NDSU never quit competing and never went away. But in the end, the Bulldogs had enough poise and experience — and, most importantly, they scored enough points in the late minutes — to hold off the plucky Bison, 86-76, in an NCAA tournament second-round game at KeyArena.
“It’s just great to move on, especially when you watch all the (other tournament) games transpire over the weekend and you see how tough it was for everybody,” said Gonzaga coach Mark Few. “We knew this was going to be tough, but these guys stepped up and made enough big plays down the stretch, especially on the offensive end, to hold off a really courageous and big-hearted opponent.”
Forward Kyle Wiltjer led the Bulldogs in scoring, as he has often this season, with a game-high 23 points to go with eight rebounds. But it was point guard Kevin Pangos who delivered when it counted most, dropping in 12 crucial points in the game’s final six minutes to turn back NDSU’s comeback bid.
Pangos, playing the full 40 minutes, began his scoring flurry with a 3-point goal and was fouled, adding the free throw. He added another 3-pointer a minute later, then connected for another field goal from the right wing before capping his night with three free throws.
“My teammates found me,” said Pangos, who finished with 18 points, five assists and no turnovers. “I felt like they were great team shots. I wasn’t predetermining what I was going to do. (The opportunities) just opened up and I just stepped up and shot it…. It felt great to help this team win.”
The Bison gave Gonzaga an early scare, sinking their first three shots from the field, all 3-pointers. That resulted in a 9-4 lead two minutes into the game, though the Bulldogs quickly restored order, scoring five straight points to tie the score, trading baskets for a few minutes, and then running off 12 straight points in a 31/2-minute stretch midway through the period.
The lead was 43-30 at halftime and it reached a high of 18 points, 53-35, five minutes into the second half. But NDSU rallied, in large part because of Dexter Werner, who at 6 feet 6 inches and 240 pounds looks a lot more like a football offensive lineman than a basketball forward.
Werner scored 11 of his 22 points in a five-minute span of the second half, most on twisting moves and a gentle touch around the basket, and his last field goal in that stretch pulled the Bison within 68-62 while stirring the green-and-yellow clad NDSU fans in the arena.
But at that point Pangos took over. His two 3-pointers pushed the margin back to double digits and it stayed there the rest of the way.
First-year NDSU coach David Richman was very pleased with the way his team competed, “but let’s give a ton of credit where credit is due,” he said. “(Gonzaga) is an absolutely outstanding team. Extremely well coached and they have tremendous balance. They took a really good punch from us and they still got us.
“I think that’s a team that’s got a chance a make a legit run here and go deep into this thing, especially when they have all the parts working together like they do normally,” he said.
With the victory, Gonzaga advances to face Iowa, which defeated Davidson 83-52 earlier Friday, at 4:10 p.m. Sunday. The winner of that game moves on to next weekend’s Sweet 16, and the South Region games will be in Houston.
The Bulldogs will begin preparing for Iowa today, but for now “we celebrate,” Few said. “Any time you can get a win this time of year, you need to celebrate it. It’s a special, special happening and you should never, ever take it for granted. I don’t take it for granted and I make sure as heck that these guys don’t take it for granted.
“We need to play better, and obviously we need to play better on the defensive end Sunday because of all the teams this weekend I thought Iowa probably had the most impressive performance. They’re clicking on all cylinders and we’ve got 36 hours to get back, get our feet under us, get rested and hopefully come out and play a great game.”
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