March 9, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Gonzaga clinches NCAA berth
For the first time since 2007, Gonzaga will advance to the NCAA tournament. The top-seeded Zags defeated No. 6 San Diego 66-55 this afternoon for the West Coast Conference tournament title and automatic berth.
Some have Gonzaga as a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tourney,facing No. 5 Arizona State in the opening round at Hec Ed on March 21. The other teams projected to be at the site are Iowa State and Montana. California has also been projected in the past as the governing organization tries to optimize fan support in the opening rounds.
The Pac-10, according to ESPN, will only have three teams advance. To open the season, Sun Devils coach Charli Tuner Thorne thought the conference was competitive enough for possibly six. Injuries have nixed those chances, especially for Southern California. The Trojans and UCLA will have to win the conference tourney to break into the NCAA tournament.
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