“It was loud in there”, Perkins said.
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They still took 3s, even more than in the first half, but they took a different kind of 3.
“I was really proud of Dererk, especially” explained Collins, “He’s had his struggles at the line throughout his career”.
If Northwestern is going to win the game, they’re going to have to mimic at least part of the formula that BYU used in handing Gonzaga their only loss of the season. We like playing with our backs against the wall.
Tillie’s dunk capped off a long list of plays throughout the game that seemed to have required some good fortune on Gonzaga’s side.
Eleventh-seeded Xavier routed Florida State 91-66, and Florida did the same in dispatching of Virginia 65-39. Those might not have been the most important free throws for Gonzaga, though.
What you saw in the second half Saturday was how these Cats managed to do all those things.
Will other teams try to mimick SDSU’s strategy?
You might be thinking, “I’m not suer it’s legal to stick your arm through the rim to block a shot”. “We could see anything”. Stephon, considered to be one of the best young talents in the nation, had also failed in the years prior. “And we all just said, ‘We’re not going down like this.’ I have fighters in that locker room, I have a lot of heart in that locker room, and I wasn’t surprised at all by the heart they showed”. “That’s probably the first time I’ve ever experienced that kind of defense”. They made a call, so we’ve got to live with it. “It’s step by step”.
During a mini-run early in the second half, Lindsey exhorted Northwestern fans to stand up and shouted, “It isn’t over!”
The situation went from bad to worse when Northwestern coach Chris Collins was given a technical foul for storming onto the court during play to argue the no-call.
Nigel Williams-Goss contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, while Jordan Mathews and Zach Collins each had 14.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (24-11): Standout junior guard Bryant McIntosh scored 25 points against Vanderbilt for his 11th 20-point performance of the season and hit the tying and go-ahead free throws with 14.6 seconds left.
“They thought of us as defensive players”, guard Tarik Phillip said. Northwestern’s not a great offense (60th in KenPom) but Gonzaga made them look like the most inept unit in the dance.
Legendary coaches like Tex Winter (head coach from 1973-1978) have tried and failed (Winter finished with a 42-89 record) where Collins has finally succeeded. Here is what to watch for on day one.
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“That’s what we’ve done pretty much all year”.
