At long last, Gonzaga makes its first Final Four

So many great teams. So many close calls. Finally, Gonzaga is going to the Final Four.

The Bulldogs slayed the dragon Saturday, beating Xavier in the West Regional final, 83-59, to punch their ticket to the first national semifinal in school history.

There was never really a doubt. Gonzaga built a 10-point lead at halftime and didn't wilt, even for a blink, in the second half. The Bulldogs pushed the lead to over 20 points down the stretch.

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/845792976030777344

The Zags — who have made the NCAA Tournament every year since 1999 — have been to the Elite Eight twice before and the Sweet 16 seven times without advancing to the last weekend. But you can forget all that now. They will play the winner of Sunday's East Regional final between Florida and South Carolina in the national semifinals.

Nigel Williams-Goss was the star for Gonzaga, scoring 23 points on 7-of-19 shooting to lead all scorers.

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/845793772680077316