PROVO — In the quarterfinals and semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament, BYU scored 85 points in both games and earned a pair of impressive wins, including the end of an exasperating five-game losing streak to No. 20 Saint Mary’s.
But in the WCC tournament championship game Tuesday night at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, the Cougars managed to score just 54 points against No. 6 Gonzaga in a humbling 74-54 loss.
As a result, BYU (24-10) missed out on its hope of stealing an NCAA tournament bid as the Zags, once again, earned the league’s automatic berth to the Big Dance.