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Guard outjumps Gonzaga’s giants for Sweet 16’s biggest swat

COMMENTARY

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Whether through tears or vacant stares, West Virginia players replayed how and why their season had ended.

The clearest turning point was right there, a sequence that defined and decided Gonzaga 61, West Virginia 58 in a Sweet 16 rumble.

For all the giant cedars and sky-scraping firs lining Gonzaga’s rotation, a 6-foot-3 kid proved most difficult to shoot over.

Josh Perkins, having blocked five shots all season, swatted away No. 6 with a roundhouse swipe they’ll loop in Spokane for years to come.

Where did such a defensive eraser come from?