Shawn Olden, Garrett Jackson and the #WCCHoops Slate

Saturday’s results in West Coast Conference men’s basketball action.

Compiled by Curran McCauley
 The fourth weekend of WCC conference play wrapped up on Saturday, with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s both recording victories. The triumphs set up a showdown on Thursday in Spokane (8:00 pm PT ESPNU). The conference lead will be on the line between both 7-0 squads.

 No. 3 Gonzaga 72 Loyola Marymount 55
Coming into the contest as the highest ranked team to ever play at Gersten Pavilion, Gonzaga started the game on a 20-2 run as Gary Bell Jr., Kevin Pangos and Kyle Wiltjer each scored in double figures to lift the Zags to a perfect 7-0 mark in conference play. Pangos scored 12 of his 16 points on shots from behind the arc.

Saint Mary’s 82 BYU 77
In the marquee matchup of the weekend, the Gaels shined on national television. Brad Waldow again recorded a double-double (24 pts, 14 rebs) and Garrett Jackson pitched in 20 points for the hosts. The WCC’s leading scorer Tyler Haws led all scorers with 28 points as the Cougars late comeback bid fell short.

Pacific 59 San Diego 57
Pacific opened up the game on an 11-1 run, but the Toreros took a 27-24 lead into the halftime break. The lead would change 13 times in the second half. The Tigers had eight  blocks, including two by Sami Eleraky and one by Eric Thompson in the final ten seconds of the contest, denying the Toreros any chance of a road victory. TJ Wallace led all scorers with 22 points. 

Santa Clara 70 San Francisco 64
The Broncos held off a late USF rally, thanks in part to a hot shooting night from Brandon Clark who had 23 points, including four three-pointers. Mark Tollefsen recorded a double-double (14 pts, 10 rebs) in a losing effort for the Dons in the 215th meeting of the Bay Area rivals.

Pepperdine 67 Portland 63
In a game that also featured 13 lead changes, the Waves bounced back from a halftime deficit to charge past the Pilots, who went without scoring for five minutes in the latter stages of the second half. Pepperdine had four scorers in double figures, including a team-high 15 from freshman Shawn Olden. Portland’s Kevin Bailey had 28 to lead all scorers in a losing effort.

 They Said It
” The sequence at the end of the with Eric and Sami getting blocks on three-pointers was one the best game-ending defensive sequences I’ve seen.” – Pacific Head Coach Ron Verlin