Gonzaga holds off South Carolina to reach title game

GLENDALE, Ariz. - When America's two most efficient defenses are on the court together at a domed stadium, you would expect a game in which 65 points is going to look very good. It did not play out that way Saturday in the first game of the Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium, as Gonzaga had 65 with 11 minutes left, leading almost all the way and threatening to run away from South Carolina.

It didn't happen that way either as the underdog Gamecocks' vaunted defense finally started getting stops and converting them quickly into scores. Trailing by 14, they proceeded to score the next 16 points, seizing the momentum and looking like a winner - until Gonzaga's freshman big man, Zach Collins, rising every day on NBA lists, threw up a no-chance three-pointer from the top of the key that hit the flange, rolled back in, and gave Gonzaga a lead it would never give up, the Zags finally winning, 77-73.

"If I had my choice that was exactly the game I would have chosen,'' Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "I envisioned going into this like 25-22 at half. The fact that it was going up and down is the way we want to play and like to play and when we're at our best.''

Collins (14 points, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks) was a force all game, especially in the second half, when he was everywhere. For the longest time, the Gamecocks could do nothing with the Bulldogs' experienced and skilled backcourt of Nigel Williams-Goss (23 points) and Jordan Matthews (12 points), who attacked them in the lane and from the three-point line, respectively. Gonzaga (37-1) put up 45 points by the break even with a made three waived off because it came just after the buzzer. Gonzaga shot 19 for 33 (57.6 percent) in the first 20 minutes, but just 10 for 27 (37 percent) in the second half.

"Man, just an awesome, awesome basketball game, with just how hard both teams competed,'' Few said. "I mean, that run South Carolina made on us. That just shows just the heart of a lion that they have, that [South Carolina coach] Frank [Martin] instills in them that they get from him. And it took everything we had to hold them off and come back.''

Despite shooting just 25 for 66 (37.1 percent), the Gamecocks (26-11) almost stole the game because they outscored Gonzaga 15-0 on points off turnovers and 12-0 on fastbreak points.

The Gamecocks got 17 points from P.J. Dozier, 15 from Sindarius Thornwell (118 points in five NCAA games), and 13 points and 13 rebounds from Chris Silva. When they finally began to get stops and came all the way back, it really looked as if they might get their fourth consecutive NCAA upset - until the Bulldogs regained their composure and the lead they held for 35 of the game's 40 minutes.

"It's who we are, that's why I've been so positive and so proud of these kids the whole year,'' Martin said.

Now Gonzaga, playing in its first Final Four, will play for its first national championship Monday night.

"Just ecstatic to be still playing, and to be playing the last game of the year is just crazy cool,'' Few said.