LAS VEGAS – BYU was almost perfect in the first half of the final of the West Coast Conference Tournament against no. 1 Gonzaga.
Not perfect enough.
Jalen Suggs had 23 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Kispert scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half to help Gonzaga reverse a 12-point deficit at halftime and through BYU, 88-78 , to clinch the West Coast Conference Tournament. title Tuesday night at Orleans Arena.
Joel Ayayi added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Zags, who improved to 26-0 with their 30th consecutive win dating back to last season.
Trevin Knell had 20 points, including five three-pointers, to lead BYU; and Alex Barcello added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists; and Matt Haarms provided 13 points, four rebounds and a stoppage time for the Cougars.
Brandon Averette had 11 points and four assists for the Cougars (20-6), and Gideon George added 11 points and five rebounds.
Look out, here it comes @ZagMBB!
55-52 BYU early in the 2nd half.
📺 ESPN
📍 @UCU_LA#WCChoops Tournament pic.twitter.com/Whiyso2YjU– WCC Basketball (@WCChoops) 10 March 2021
The Cougars played a first half as perfectly as can be played against the top Gonzaga. They shot 68% of the field, including 82.3% in effective field goals, outscoring the Zags 17-13 15-9 on the defensive goggles, and asserting themselves 18-16.
It all led 53-41 at halftime. But the Zags were not down.
Especially not Kispert.
The senior forward scored three tries from the break and tied the game at 57-all tied from the free-throw line with 13:49 left. When BYU missed its first nine three-point attempts of the second half, Kispert led another 12-0 run that put the Zags up 71-68 with just six minutes.
Suggs hit tries in a row to turn a run of 23-5 and pull away for good.
. @trevin_knell = 🪣 pic.twitter.com/2jyEEHYUb5
– BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) 10 March 2021
This story will be updated.