- - T 1 Main SPECIAL SECTION DECEMBER 20, 2014 NO PLACE LIKE HOME McCarthey Athletic Center 2004-’14 ! A DECADE OF DOMINANCE HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE The McCarthey Athletic Center opened on Nov. 19, 2004 and has played host to 143 Gonzaga men’s basketball games, of which only eight were losses. POWER Men Women Winning defines McCarthey, OF THE 94% MAC 89% but there’s so much more Both the Gonzaga men’s and ruth be told, JOHN so irresistible without it. In women’s 71% 73% Adam BLANCHETTE the 205 weeks of poll voting basketball teams 67% Morrison liked since their move next door, have enjoyed 66% Tthe old Kennel, the Zags have been in the tremendous now Top 25 for 144. success at the remaindered to volleyball In their first decade of McCarthey just a few feet to the west. residence, the Bulldogs won Athletic Center “Loved it,” he said. “It was 135 of 143 games in since it opened in so loud, and you had the McCarthey, a percentage of November 2004. general admission part that 94.4 – second only during At right, see 71-29 64-31 96-36 35-18 kind of amped things up – that span to Kansas’ 94.9 in how the Zags 135-8 133-17 and the Kennel Club wasn’t university Allen Fieldhouse. Four of those losses men and women sponsored then, so you know what came against Top 25 teams; Saint have fared at they were up to beforehand.” Mary’s and Santa Clara account for home, away and Winning percentages for the GU men and women since It was hot, it was humble, maybe a the only debits in a 74-2 mark against on neutral courts 2004-05. Key: I-Home I-Away I-Neutral little rough-and-tumble. It was a gym, West Coast Conference opponents. over the past not all that much different from the On the nights when the men are out decade. one where basketball was born. Like of town, the women are only Morrison’s game, it was both old somewhat less dominant: 133-17 over school and edgy – maybe even a little the first 10 years. dangerous. Now, it was in an earlier visit to MEN’S HOME COURT RECORDS “Then when we moved into the McCarthey and not the arena-record 2005-2014 building, you could see the program 52-point drubbing he endured this School Venue Record Pct. taking the next step,” the one-time year that St. Joseph’s coach Phil NCAA scoring champ said, “and that Martelli cast some necessary light on Kansas Allen Fieldhouse 150-8 .949 was exciting in a whole different those numbers. way.” “You understand that the toughest Gonzaga McCarthey Athletic Center 135-8 .944 Now it’s 10 years after – and going part about playing here,” he said, “are Duke Cameron Indoor Arena 154-11 .933 home has never meant quite so much the guys in the other uniforms.” to the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Meaning it’s not the noise from the Ohio State Value City Arena 163-17 .906 In November 2004, Gonzaga obligatory sellout crowd, the Kennel Michigan State Breslin Events Center 145-17 .895 University opened a building befitting Club’s bon mots, the championship its newfound basketball notoriety, banners or the legacy. It’s the players, Memphis FedEx Forum 177-21 .894 and the Zags have never looked back. duh. Wisconsin Kohl Center 152-19 .889 How much of that precisely is the And yet you can hardly discount North Carolina Smith Center 146-19 .885 doing of playing games in the the comfort level. McCarthey Athletic Center and not “This is easily the best place I’ve VCU Siegel Center 132-18 .880 the snug old Kennel cannot be ever played in,” said forward Byron Kentucky Rupp Arena 146-22 .869 quantified, but it’s impossible to imagine the momentum being quite See BLANCHETTE, T8 Staff graphic: Ralph Walter and John Blanchette - - T 2 Main PAGE T2 G SATURDAY G DECEMBER 20, 2014 THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW McCarthey Athletic Center 2004-’14 ! A DECADE OF DOMINANCE THE BEST AND BIGGEST How do you pick the 10 best games at McCarthey Athletic Center? Depending on the criteria, any number of games would qualify. Here is our Top 10 list, with the stature of games carrying just as much weight as the drama: 3 1 2 3 4 DECEMBER 1, 2004 DECEMBER 5, 2007 MARCH 6, 2006 DECEMBER 17, 2005 Gonzaga 99, WSU 51, Gonzaga 68, Gonzaga 80, Washington 87 Gonzaga 47 Loyola Marymount 67 Virginia 69 The first appearance of a ranked team First meeting of both schools being The most harrowing game in the best An ACC school visits Spokane for the (No. 14 UW) in McCarthey coupled ranked (WSU 8, GU 17). Taylor season of McCarthey thrillers sees the first time and Sean Singleton is with a crackling rivalry -- highlighted Rochestie’s 3-pointer with 28.6 Zags come back from 15 points down spectacular – 35 points, six rebounds, by Derek Raivio drilling five 3s, with seconds left is the clinching bucket in in final 14 minutes of the WCC four assists and six steals for the Cavs. eight assists and no turnovers against a tense, defensive masterpiece, in Tournament championship. But they Adam Morrison, J.P. Batista and Derek Husky pressure. “I don’t think we are which the Zags shoot just 26 percent. still have to survive LMU’s Chris Ayer Raivio (in his first action after sitting in their heads,” says Ronny Turiaf, It’s WSU first win over a ranked missing a layup at the buzzer. “He just out with a back bruise) score 23 of who had 23 points and 13 rebounds in non-conference opponent on the kind of doinked it, I guess,” said Erroll Gonzaga’s final 29 points to erase a a seventh straight win over UW. road. Knight, who insisted he didn’t block it. 57-51 Virginia lead. “Maybe you should ask them and they would tell you yes.” 1 2 4 GREATEST MEMORIES FROM THE MAC “Beating UW in 2004. “When we had ESPN “We’ve had some great, great That year we got housed College GameDay in players – the first game in here by Illinois at Conseco and here and came back we have three league MVPs in the we had a day to come against Stanford to win lineup (Ronny Turiaf, Adam back and prepare, and – that and the Husky Morrison and Derek Raivio) and they had three NBA guys games and Michigan J.P. Batista who could have been and we really had to find State and games like most years. But before this an identity. The those have had electric, building, we couldn’t get other atmosphere that game – big-time atmosphere people to come in here. To see that was the first taste of that can match any big Tom Izzo walk into your building, what this place could be.” building.” that's pretty special.” Adam Morrison Mark Few Mike Roth, GU athletic director - - T 3 Main THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW DECEMBER 20, 2014 G SATURDAY G PAGE T3 McCarthey Athletic Center 2004-’14 ! A DECADE OF DOMINANCE 5 7 5 5 6 7 JANUARY 10, 2013 FEBRUARY 10, 2007 6 JANUARY 27, 2011 Gonzaga 83, Gonzaga 60, Saint Mary’s 73, Saint Mary’s 78 Saint Mary’s 49 Gonzaga 71 Kelly Olynyk (31 points) and the Zags Josh Heytvelt’s suspension rocks The last of the “Gaels collection” on couldn’t have been better in building Spokane and threatens another WCC this list, Mickey McConnell makes a a 20-point lead, and the Gaels title run, but the Zags swarm Omar nervy 15-foot leaner over 7-foot couldn’t have been more determined Samhan and Diamon Simpson inside Robert Sacre for the game-winner, in wiping it out, coming within a and rally behind Matt Bouldin, Jeremy the last of his 27 points, and the Zags missed 3-pointer by Matthew Pargo and Derek Raivio to extend have to share the WCC regular season Dellavedova of tying it with eight their home court winning streak to 50. title for the first time since 2002. seconds left. Continued on page T6 CREDITS GREATEST MEMORIES Project editor: Joe Palmquist; Reporting and writing: John Blanchette; Photography: Dan Pelle, Kathy Plonka, Colin Mulvany, Jesse Tinsley, Tyler FROM THE MAC Tjomsland, Spokesman-Review archive, Associated Press; Design: Ralph Walter “I don't remember how good the games were, Retirement Living with but the Saint Mary’s games during the Omar Affordable Elegance Samhan years when the Kennel Club kids were dressed up in the big sumo suits brought a different kind of energy. Having a ‘villain’ always adds something.” Tom Hudson, radio voice of the Zags INCLUDED IN RENT: Gourmet Dinner Meal Transportation Service “It’s a blowout game against Santa Clara and Continental Breakfast Housekeeping Mike Hart runs down two offensive rebounds in a 24 Hr Emergency Call System Free Wi-Fi Internet row (the last leading to an Elias Harris basket) – All Utilities Onsite Exercise Facilities Indoor Pool Life Enrichment Programs and the place gives him a standing ovation. 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