SECTION C I SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2016 Penn in hand Huskies junior Kelsey Plum scores 24 points during NCAA tournament- opening victory over Penn. SPORTS WOMEN’S NCAA ROUNDUP, C11 SPOKESMAN.COM/SPORTS BROWSE STORIES, PHOTOS AND BLOGS ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE

MEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT 82 FRIDAY: GONZAGA VS. MIDDLE TENN. OR SYRACUSE, TBA 59 Showstoppers

DAN PELLE [email protected] Eric McClellan, right, had perhaps his best game with the , attacking Utah’s defense for 22 points Saturday in Denver. JOHN Zags return to Sweet 16 BLANCHETTE March goes out like lion By Jim Meehan warmed up. Two days after rough- ENVER – It has long been Mark Few’s contention [email protected], (208) 659-3791 ing up Big East Conference tourney that March matters too much in college . champion Seton Hall, Gonzaga DToo much hubbub about the destination, not DENVER – HBO probably should crushed Pac-12 runner-up Utah 82- enough about the winter’s journey. The emotional Everest have stuck around a little longer. 59 in front of 19,551 Saturday at the over the admirable grind. Their series, “Gonzaga: The Pepsi Center. This might be the year, however, he allows for an March to Madness” ended after the The 11th-seeded Zags (28-7) exception to that strongly held precept. Zags, needing to win the WCC tour- marched into the Sweet 16 and a Fri- On the Web Because there isn’t a team in the NCAA tournament nament title to secure the program’s day date in Chicago against the win- Slideshow of GU’s playing better than his Gonzaga Bulldogs at the moment, 18th straight NCAA tournament trip, ner of Sunday’s No. 15 Middle Ten- victory over Utah and the collective will it’s taken to get them to this point is rolled to the championship in Las nessee-No. 10 Syracuse contest. This in second round at a remarkable, exhilarating thing. Vegas. Denver, online at Seems the Zags were just getting See BULLDOGS, C7 spokesman.com See BLANCHETTE, C6

Uptempo battle Chiefs fall to Americans, on to playoffs in second round KENNEWICK – Nolan Ya- starting on Friday in Victoria, The Chiefs’ Jacob Cardiff remko’s third-period tiebreaker B.C. Game 2 of the seven-game halved the deficit with his ninth By Thomas Clouse helped the Tri-City Americans set is Saturday in Victoria, while of the year, and early in the se- [email protected], (509) 459-5495 beat the Spokane Chiefs 5-3 at Games 3 and 4 are at cond Jason Fram tied it the Toyota Center in the West- the Arena on Tuesday AMERICANS 5 with his 12th. Get ready for an up-and-down, ern Hockey League regular-sea- and Wednesday. CHIEFS 3 Tri-City’s Parker NCAA tournament runaway grass fire son finale for both teams. Tri-City failed to œ Friday: Spokane Bowles made it 3-2 decided by the battle of the wings. Mackenze Stewart added an qualify for the playoffs. at Victoria, Game 1 with his 39th of the Unlike the first-round matchup empty-netter with 1:32 to play. Tri-City’s Brandon campaign. against the undersized Holy Cross, No. The Chiefs finished the season Carlo scored just 56 seconds in. Just two seconds before end of 1 seed Oregon faces a St. Joseph’s squad fourth in the U.S. Division with The Americans made it 2-0 a the second, Markson Bechtold on Sunday that has seven players COLIN MULVANY The S-R the second wildcard spot. They couple of minutes later as Mor- evened it at 3 on a power play Saint Joseph’s Isaiah face No. 1 seed Victoria in the gan Geekie beat Lasse Petersen goal, assisted by Kailer Yamamo- See OREGON, C5 Miles rises in first round. first round of the WHL playoffs, (23 saves). to and Presten Kopeck.

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