In a thrilling regular-season finale in San Francisco, Gonzaga’s Ben Gregg stood out with an impressive 23-point performance, leading his team to a decisive 95-75 victory over San Francisco. This win not only concluded the regular season on a high note for Gonzaga but also secured their place in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament.
Gonzaga now enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed, gearing up for the event set to begin on March 6 in Paradise, Nevada. Meanwhile, San Francisco, who will be the third seed, earned a spot in the quarterfinals.
The Bulldogs saw significant contributions from several players, with Nolan Hickman adding 17 points, Graham Ike scoring 15, and Khalif Battle contributing 14. Ryan Nembhard played a crucial role with eight points and a remarkable 15 assists, tying his career-high record. Demonstrating exceptional playmaking abilities, Nembhard has now become the first player since Iona’s Scott Machado in 2011 to record consecutive games with at least 15 assists against Division-I teams. Leading the nation in assists and assists per game, Nembhard’s stats are further highlighted by his outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio.
The game began with a tight early exchange, with Gregg quickly making his mark by scoring in the paint, giving Gonzaga a narrow 7-6 lead just over three minutes in—a lead they maintained throughout the game. For San Francisco, Marcus Williams delivered an exceptional performance, scoring 28 points by making 11 out of 15 field goals, including two perfect 3-pointers and an impressive showing at the free-throw line. Malik Thomas contributed 13 points, and Tyrone Riley IV added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Gonzaga established their dominance with Gregg scoring the team’s first nine points during a strong 17-4 run. This pivotal moment was capped by Nembhard’s three-point play, extending the lead to 46-29 just before halftime, ensuring the Dons trailed by double digits from then on.
