The Gonzaga Bulldogs let a critical one slip through their grasp on Saturday when they fell to rival Saint Mary’s, 64-62 , much to the displeasure of the fans amid some questionable calls from the officials.
Some Gonzaga students began hurling trash onto the court following two calls late that didn’t favor the Bulldogs. The first was a no-call after it appeared Aidan Mahaney stepped out of bounds before delivering a pass that led to a 3-pointer from Augustas Marciulionis, giving the Gaels a 63-57 lead with 48.5 seconds to play. The officials appeared to review the play at the monitor (Gonzaga coach Mark Few said after the game it was non-reviewable) and did not overturn their initial no-call.
After Anton Watson cut the deficit in half with a triple of his own, it looked as if the Bulldogs would get a shot to tie the game after Mahaney forced up an airball at the shot-clock buzzer on the Gaels’ next possession. Watson, however, was called for a loose ball foul while boxing out Mitchell Saxen. The foul apparently occurred before the shot-clock buzzer sounded. Saxen made one free throw to make it a 4-point game, and Gonzaga walked off the court on the wrong side of another close game.