HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

Gonzaga 75, Brigham Young 64: Sam Dower had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs past the Cougars in the West Coast Conference title game in Las Vegas.

Gary Bell Jr. added 14 points for top-seeded Gonzaga (28-6), which is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the 16th consecutive season after claiming the league’s automatic bid. Kevin Pangos had 11 points – all coming from the free-throw line.

Tyler Haws scored 24 points for Brigham Young (23-11), which will have to sweat out Selection Sunday to see if it earns its seventh bid in the last eight seasons. Kyle Collinsworth added 13 points but was helped off the court with a possible serious knee injury with 13:42 remaining.

The Cougars trailed 55-35 when Collinsworth departed and immediately ripped off seven straight points and eventually pulled within 63-54 on a 3-pointer by Frank Bartley IV with 4:08 to play. Gonzaga went 12-of-17 from the line down the stretch.

The Bulldogs dominated the first nine-plus minutes while jumping out to a 25-9 advantage. The lead reached 21 late in the half as Gonzaga rode 61.3 percent shooting to a 44-27 halftime lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The double-double is the eighth of the season for Dower. … BYU F Nate Austin left early in the second half after taking an inadvertent elbow to the nose from teammate Eric Mika. … The appearance in the WCC title game was the 17th straight for Gonzaga.