Number one seed Gonzaga had a scare in the first round against a 16-seed and that continued into the second round on Saturday, as the Bulldogs were upset in shocking fashion by the Shockers, as Wichita State defeated Gonzaga 76-70 to advance to the Sweet 16.
The Bulldogs had a tough game against Southern but survived into the third round, but the team was not enough for the scrappy Shockers, who hit three after three towards the end of the game to keep Gonzaga at bay. The team is back into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006 and will now face the winner of La Salle and Ole Miss, who upset Wisconsin in the second round.
Canadian players Kelly Olynyk and Kevin Pangos led the way for Gonzaga, scoring 26 and 19 points, but they were not enough to stop the Shockers. Gonzaga finished the season as the number one team in the nation in the AP poll, but the Shockers didn't care as they were able to take down one of the top seeds.
The Bulldogs went on a 12-0 run in the middle of the second half, but the Shockers kept coming back, hitting five three-pointers and then took over, outscoring the team 35-21. The end of the game saw the two teams trade free throws and at the end after the Bulldogs had a chance to get a shot, it was a desperation one.
"I was just disappointed that with 1 second left that we even let him get a 3 off," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "That was a mental error on our part."
The Bulldogs were in the tournament for the 15th straight season, but ended up being sent home early. Ron Baker had 16 points and four assists, while Pangos had three steals and four assists to lead Gonzaga. The Bulldogs had no way to stop the Shockers, allowing 19 points over the final five minutes and allowing a 25-12 run to end the second half.
According to ESPN, the Shockers are just the fifth 9-seed to make it to the Sweet 16 since 1985.
