Jalen Suggs’ clutch play lifts Gonzaga past BYU for WCC title

It wasn’t just the timely 3-pointers that impressed Gonzaga coach Mark Few on Tuesday night. Or the acrobatic layups, pinpoint passes or crisp defensive rotations.

It was the rational bravado that freshman phenom Jalen Suggs displayed during the most consequential game of the season that impressed him the most. Far more than the precocious set of skills that have helped the Bulldogs reach new heights during their unblemished regular season.

“He’s a winner at the top of everything,” Few said. “The bigger the moment, the better he is.”

Suggs scored 10 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes of the West Coast Conference championship game to lift the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs to an 88-78 victory over Brigham Young for their eighth tournament title in nine years.

Gonzaga completes the regular season 26-0 and can become the first team since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers to complete a perfect season by winning the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s hard not to think about,” said Suggs, the tournament’s most outstanding player and conference’s freshman of the year. “At some point, you’ve got to kind of acknowledge how special of a thing and ride we’re on right now.”

In the past two decades, Few has built little ol’ Gonzaga into one of the best programs in college basketball. But he hadn’t quite coached a player like Suggs until the season.

The 6-foot-5-inch lead guard from the Minneapolis area went to Spokane, Washington, as the highest-rated recruit in program history, then spent the season validating his five-star billing while emerging as a top-five NBA prospect.

He showcased his shooting touch Tuesday, making 4 of 7 3-pointers to help the Bulldogs erase an 11-point halftime deficit. He controlled the tempo — especially in the second half — by using his tight handle and quick first step to manipulate BYU’s defense and create scoring opportunities en route to a game-high five assists.

His infectious defensive energy was key in the second half for the Bulldogs, who allowed 25 points in the final 20 minutes compared with 53 in the first.

Backcourt mate Joel Ayayi had 18 points and eight rebounds, and WCC player of the year Corey Kispert scored 17, including three crucial 3-pointers early in the second half.

They also are legitimate pro prospects, but they deferred to Suggs down the stretch, allowing him to take the biggest shots of the game. He broke a 73-all tie with a layup and buried two deep 3-pointers on ensuing possessions to bury the Cougars (20-6)

“I’ve been dreaming of playing college basketball in March all my life,” Suggs said. “I would be practicing on my Little Tikes hoop, these exact moments, these exact situations. For all of them to play out tonight, it was crazy.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.