LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nigel Williams-Goss had 25 points and eight rebounds, and No. 4 Gonzaga secured a spot in the West Coast Conference title game for the 20th straight season with a 77-68 victory over pesky Santa Clara on Monday night.
Przemek Karnowski added 19 points and seven boards for the Bulldogs (31-1), who dominated inside in winning their second straight since their loss to BYU.
Top-seeded Gonzaga will seek its fifth straight conference championship Tuesday night against No. 19 Saint Mary’s. The Gaels advanced with an 81-50 victory against BYU in the second semifinal.
Jared Brownridge scored 32 points for Santa Clara (17-16), which has dropped 15 in a row to Gonzaga.
The Zags shot 56 percent from the field and had 46 points in the paint.
No. 19 SAINT MARY’S 81, BYU 50
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Jock Landale had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Saint Mary’s never trailed in its runaway win in the West Coast Conference semifinals.
Calvin Hermanson added 14 points and Emmett Naar had 12 points and 11 assists for the Gaels (28-3), who hit 13 3-pointers and earned a third chance to play nemesis Gonzaga in the title game Tuesday.
T.J. Haws scored 13 points for the cold-shooting Cougars (22-11), who handed Gonzaga its only loss but faces long odds to reach the NCAA Tournament.
With third-seeded BYU missing 22 of 32 first-half shots, second-seeded Saint Mary’s raced to a 36-20 lead. Hermanson then hit a 3-pointer as the Gaels scored the first five points in the second half, and they led by as many as 35 points in their sixth straight win.
BYU’s Eric Mika was held to 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting after scoring 25 in Saturday’s quarterfinal win over Loyola Marymount.
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