By CURRAN McCAULEY
Here are five things we’ve learned at the midway pole of the 2015-16 West Coast Conference season:
1. If the second half is as good as the first, we’re in for a treat – We’ve reached the halfway point of the WCC season, as one round-robin cycle has concluded. There have been thrilling conclusions and big match ups already. Three teams have yet to lose in their home gyms this season (BYU, Pepperdine and Saint Mary’s) while thrilling finishes have dotted the conference landscape from Spokane to Portland, Stockton and Moraga. It promises to be a thrilling, unpredictable run to the conference championship game in Las Vegas as the race for the WCC title seems to be the most wide open in recent memory.
2. The WCC championship race will go through Moraga – OK, maybe not physically Moraga after Saint Mary’s pulled off the home triumph over Gonzaga on Thursday night, but any championship discussion in the conference will begin with the Gaels. With the dominance of the ‘Zags for over a decade, that’s no small feat for Randy Bennett’s program. The Gaels outscored Gonzaga 29-13 over the last 10 minutes of the contest on Thursday to seal victory in the final moments of action. SMC then returned against Portland, breezing over the Pilots thanks to 20-point performances from Australian guards Dane Pineau and Emmett Naar. The Gaels face three straight on the road, starting with an 8:00 pm PT Saturday tip at Pacific’s Spanos Center.
3. Pepperdine is a serious player, too – Pepperdine remained perfect at home this year with a triumph over BYU on Saturday night, giving the Waves their third straight home victory over the Cougars en route to taking over sole possession of third place in the WCC. Lamond Murray Jr. chipped in 20 points and seven rebounds, his third straight contest with 20 points or more. Stacy Davis, Kameron Edwards and Jett Raines also scored in double figures in the win. Pepperdine will face off with BYU again on Saturday, this time at the Marriott Center in Provo. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT on ESPN2, as all eyes will again be on these two squads, each who is undefeated at home.
4. Sabonis posts career high rebounding mark, looks poised to make mark on March stage – Damontas Sabonis posted 20 rebounds against Pacific on Saturday. The sophomore posted 28 rebounds in an Under-20 international game, but the 20 boards was his most as a member of Gonzaga. Head coach Mark Few praised Sabonis, calling 20 rebounds “an unbelievable accomplishment”. Sabonis is averaging a double-double (17.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg) and has posted one in three of the Zags’ last four contests. With Przemek Karnowski out for the year, Sabonis and Kyle Wiltjer will be absolutely vital in the second half and as Gonzaga hopes at a deep tourney run.
5. Pacific battles through adversity to respectable conference mark– The Tigers kept it close at home against Gonzaga, falling by just ten in a game in which they led by as much as five in the second half. Alec Kobre had twenty points in the loss. On Thursday, Pacific pulled even in conference play at 4-4 with a win over Portland. Ray Bowles went for 19, including 3-4 from beyond the arc. Pacific, which is under the helm of interim head coach Mike Burns, self imposed a postseason ban this season following an investigation into academic misconduct. The Tigers are letting it all out on the court, knowing that every regular season game is now magnified, providing a chance for the Orange and Black to prove their mettle.
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