South Carolina’s magical run is over. Behind a game-high 23 points from Nigel Williams-Goss, No. 1-seed Gonzaga outlasted the No. 7 seed Gamecocks, 77-73, in the Final Four Saturday in Glendale, Ariz., to earn a spot in Monday night’s title game. The Zags advance to the NCAA championship for the first time in school history, finally breaking through after years of disappointing losses in the Big Dance under longtime coach Mark Few. “I feel blessed, blessed to be part of something so special,” said Williams-Goss, who’s in his first season with Gonzaga after transferring from Washington. “The journey we’ve been on has just been unreal, and we just never stopped believing and we’ve had the utmost confidence in ourselves the entire season long.” Gonzaga shot 58% from the field in the first half and opened up a nine-point halftime lead. That advantage ballooned to 14 points early in the second half, but South Carolina responded with a furious 16-0 run to take the lead with seven minutes left. Defense spurred the spurt, as it typically does with the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs, though, pulled away down the stretch behind their two seven-footers, senior Przemek Karnowski (13 points, five rebounds, three assists) and freshman… Read full this story
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