Gonzaga, Davidson look for repeats

Mar 10, 2008 - 2:39 PM By PA SportsTicker

Gonzaga and Davidson are looking to repeat in a busy Monday of conference tournament championships.

The 23rd-ranked Bulldogs will go for their fifth straight West Coast Conference tournament crown when they face San Diego at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on the Toreros campus.

The WCC title game is one of four conference championships held on Monday. The Southern and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferences, as well as the Colonial Athletic Association also have an automatic berth to the NCAAs up for grabs.

The Bulldogs (25-6) have won eight of the past nine WCC tournaments, with their only loss during that span coming against San Diego in 2003.

Gonzaga held on for a 52-48 victory over Santa Clara in the semifinal round on Sunday, led by Josh Heytvelt's 15 points. WCC Player of the Year, Jeremy Pargo scored just four points for the Bulldogs.

The Toreros (20-13) are in the finals after rallying from a 15-point second half deficit to defeat Saint Mary's, 75-69, in double overtime on Sunday. San Diego also posted a quarterfinal round 73-55 victory over Pepperdine on Saturday.

Brandon Johnson scored 28 points in Sunday's win to pace San Diego, which has lost all 13 meetings with Gonzaga since winning that 2003 tournament crown.

In the Southern Conference, Davidson is a heavy favorite to claim its third straight tournament title when they face up-start Elon.

The Wildcats (25-6) have won 21 straight games and own a 35-game winning streak against Southern Conference opponents.

The conference's Player of the Year, Stephen Curry had 26 points in Sunday's 82-52 semifinal victory over UNC-Greensboro and scored 19 against Wofford in an 82-49 triumph in Saturday's quarterfinal matchup for the Wildcats.

The seventh-seed in the tournament, Elon has reached the final for the first time in its five-year existence in the conference.

The Phoenix (14-18) won an opening round game over Furman on Friday before upsetting the second seed Tennessee-Chattanooga, 60-57, on Saturday. Elon then posted a 75-61 victory over sixth-seeded College of Charleston on Sunday and are one more upset away from capturing its first ever trip to the NCAAs.

George Mason is looking to clinch its second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three years when they face William & Mary in the Colonial Athletic Association final.

The Patriots (22-10), who were selected as an at-large team when they made it to the Final Four in 2006, defeated UNC-Wilmington in the semifinals on Sunday to make their second straight CAA championship game.

Fifth-seeded William & Mary (17-15) is seeking its first-ever trip to the "Big Dance" after knocking out the tournaments top seed Virginia Commonwealth, 56-54, on Sunday. Laimis Kisielius scored 23 points and made the game-winning basket with three seconds left in the victory.

In the MAAC championship, the top two seeds will square off when Siena clashes with Rider.

On Sunday, the top-seeded Saints (21-10) rallied from a 17-point second half deficit to defeat Loyola-Maryland, 65-63, and are looking for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002.

Jason Thompson had 32 points and 18 rebounds as the Broncos (23-9) advanced to their second MAAC title game in four years with a 76-71 victory over Marist on Sunday. Rider is looking for its fourth trip to the NCAAs and first since 1994.

Drake was the only team to clinch an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, becoming the fifth of the 31 to do so within the next week.

On Saturday, Winthrop booked its fourth straight trip to the NCAAs by winning the Big South championship. Also, Austin Peay claimed the Ohio Valley Conference title and Belmont won its third straight Atlantic Sun crown.

Cornell was the first team to claim an automatic bid on March 1 en route to completing a perfect season in the Ivy League. The Ivy League is the only Division I conference that does not host a postseason tournament.