WCC Basketball Fans

Memphis 62, Gonzaga 58

The great news for the Memphis Tigers is that they won a non-conference road game against a brand-name opponent. The bad news? This win, in 2011, won’t carry much value for the Tigers.
Yes, Memphis survived an 11-minute field goal drought, getting four straight points from Antonio Barton in the final 40 seconds to escape with a 62-58 win over Gonzaga on Saturday afternoon in Spokane, Washington. The Tigers became the third team to win at the Spokane Center this season, as Gonzaga failed to pick up what could have been a big win in its chase of an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, a bid that is certain to not materialize.
However, speaking of at-large bids that won’t emerge, Memphis is subject to the same fate it just consigned the Zags. It’s true that Gonzaga must now win its league tournament to make the Big Dance, but life is no different for the visitors from Conference USA. A cruel irony is attached to such a reality.
In past years, beating Gonzaga would have rated as a high-value scalp on an NCAA resume. The Zags were a No. 3 seed in the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournaments, and they reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 4 seed in the 2009 edition of the Big Show. Notching a win over GU carried a lot of weight over the past half-decade, but this year, such a triumph isn’t all that much of a conquest… not with respect to RPI ratings, anyway. Gonzaga is now 15-9 after this loss, and the Bulldogs haven’t beaten the elite teams on their schedule. This is a junk-food win for Memphis, not a nourishing one, and that’s a bitter irony since the Tigers, who lost at home to Tulsa last week, have too many bad losses on their own resume. Two years ago, this could have been a ticket-punching win, but in 2011, it’s an empty conquest.

After being up just two at the half, Memphis went on a tear and jumped ahead by 13 with 13:12 left in the second half. The Bulldogs went on a methodical run after that, using a relentless defense that forced Memphis to rush shots and struggle with turnovers. The Zags’ persistence enabled them to take the lead with under three minutes left under the game. But then, the Tigers finally woke up, or more precisely, Mr. Barton. Memphis’s anchor on the court hit a three-pointer to quiet the Bulldog run before taking over for his shellshocked teammates in the final minutes.

The Tigers got 17 points from Barton in the win. Robert Sacre had 9 for the Zags, including a couple of key baskets late on passes from David Stockton, the son of NBA legend and Gonzaga grad John Stockton. However, Sacre fumbled away a pass in the final seconds with Gonzaga down two, thereby ending GU’s chances of getting an at-large bid in this year’s Dance. The Bulldogs’ run was keyed by head coach Mark Few, who turned to Stockton to try and get the offense rolling through Sacre again. It worked its magic… but just not at the very end.

For Memphis head coach John Pastner, a win is a win. For Memphis’s bubble resume, however, a win is not a win… not the way it would have been in 2009. Those are the breaks for a program that has to surge in Conference USA in early March in order to reach its preferred postseason destination.

Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer