Playing its first regular-season game as the nation's No. 1 team, Gonzaga handled its business like a veteran squad with no signs of butterflies. There were no major snags. It weathered every storm BYU could formulate. The Bulldogs led the entire way and came out victorious once again, 83-72.
Same thing, just a different game for the Zags, who remain undefeated at 23-0 -- a school record win streak that doesn't appear to have an end in sight. With the Bulldogs going wire-to-wire, it now makes 13 consecutive halves of never trailing in a game, making it a truly dominant run.
Gonzaga, which led by as many as 19, showed signs of being a legitimate Final Four contender at every turn. BYU's T.J. Haws caught fire in the second half to finish with 29 points, including 4-of-9 shooting from behind the arc. BYU worked the ball inside and out, feeding leading scorer Eric Mika down low to put together a spirited run late in the game. The balanced Cougars scored 26 points in the paint and had 23 points off turnovers, yet Gonzaga had an answer each time BYU cut the lead to single digits.
The leading scorer for Gonzaga, Nigel Williams-Goss, had a career day that sparked the Bulldogs whenever they needed it. Williams-Goss led all scorers with 33 points, shooting 12-of-18 from the floor. When the Zags were on the ropes in Provo's raucous atmosphere, Williams-Goss wasn't intimidated. Instead, he took the ball to the basket and attacked the defense, delivering one momentum-killing blow after another.
Against BYU's zone defense, Gonzaga went cold during several stretches, including one at the start of the second half that allowed BYU to climb back into the game. The Bulldogs struggled to take care of the ball, throwing it away 14 times.
Several Gonzaga possessions extended too long with perimeter passing that never worked to the interior. As a result, 7-foot-1 Przemek Karnowski was limited to just nine points. He pulled down eight boards, but was also a contributing factor to the giveaways, turning the ball over five times. He never found a rhythm at any point. But with Williams-Goss' big night, the Zags didn't need it.
Gonzaga returns home Saturday against Santa Clara, then travels to Loyola-Marymount on Feb. 9. After that, it's a much anticipated rematch with Saint Mary's on Feb. 11, in a game that could determine the winner of the WCC. Gonzaga won the first meeting 79-56 in Spokane on Jan. 14. Gonzaga will be favored in each of its final seven regular-season games, according to KenPom.com.
Gonzaga holds the nation's No. 1 ranking and has the longest winning streak in school history. And a No. 1 seed in March is looking like a near-lock. If you're projecting a future bracket, how can you not pencil in the Zags as a Final Four team?
Times are good in Spokane, and it appears they could just be getting started.