College basketball: Gonzaga beats Saint Mary's for WCC title

College basketball • Bulldogs win conference tournament.
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Las Vegas • Kelly Olynyk had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and top-ranked Gonzaga bolstered its case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament by routing Saint Mary's 65-51 in the West Coast Conference final Monday night.

Already headed to the NCAA tournament for the 15th straight season, Gonzaga (31-2) sure had the look of a No. 1 seed, playing a superb game at both ends.

The deep Zags shot 52 percent, dominated inside and teamed up to hound Gaels leading scorer Matthew Dellavedova everywhere he went. Elias Harris added 19 points for Gonzaga, which had a 42-18 in the paint.

Saint Mary's (27-6) labored against Gonzaga's attacking defense, particularly after point guard Jorden Page injured his right knee midway through the first half.

Dellavedova struggled for the second straight game, scoring two points on 1-of-8 shooting, and the Gaels went 7-for-27 from 3-point range.

Stephen Holt had 19 points to lead Saint Mary's, which should have a solid enough resume to earn an at-large NCAA bid.

Gonzaga has been the marker for mid-major success, reaching the NCAA tournament 14 straight seasons and the regional finals four times, including the past two seasons.

This season, the Zags broke through a big barrier on their way to 30 wins for the first time: No. 1.

James Madison 70, Northeastern 57 • In Richmond, Va., A.J. Davis scored 26 points and James Madison put together an early 23-1 run before holding off a furious rally to beat Northeastern in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game. Rayshawn Goins added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the third-seeded Dukes (20-14), who won their conference tournament for the first time to earn their first berth in the NCAA tournament since 1994.