You can't always teach an old dog new tricks, so it's fitting that Gonzaga went back to its underdog role to once again regain national relevance. The Bulldogs were on the verge of drifting into obscurity again, losers of three consecutive games and looking at a fourth as Tennessee came out smoking on Wednesday night.But that old Gonzaga grit -- the one that made them a tournament darling only a few years ago -- was on display once again. The Bulldogs withstood a strong first-half charge by the Volunteers and really showed the depth of their character in overtime to beat No. 15 Tennessee, 89-79.
There are statement games, but this game spoke volumes about the makeup of this team.
The rap on Gonzaga was that the team was a little bit soft. And to be honest, a lot of that was justified. They just didn't make the plays to win. And when Matt Bouldin missed a potential winning shot at the end of overtime, you couldn't help but think, "Here comes the old Gonzaga fold again."
But it didn't happen. When Tennessee flubbed its chance to win, something seemed to click for Gonzaga that carried them through a dominating overtime session. This is the kind of win that the Bulldogs needed to carry them through the conference season.
Let's be honest, nobody is going to be impressed when Gonzaga crushes Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. But that's the key. Gonzaga has used up all of its free-passes. They can't afford to slip up anymore. They need to attack the WCC schedule the same way that it attacked overtime on Wednesday. Gonzaga went old school and gutted out a win.
Austin Daye said that the swagger was back. Now it's time to prove it. No more bad loses. Gonzaga is back, it needs to show us that they want to stick around this time.
