1986–87 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

1986–87 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
ConferenceWest Coast Athletic Conference
Record18–10 (9–5 WCAC)
Head coach
Home arenaMartin Centre
Seasons
1986–87 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
San Diego 13 – 1   .929 24 – 6   .800
Gonzaga 9 – 5   .643 18 – 10   .643
Saint Mary's 7 – 7   .500 17 – 13   .567
Portland 6 – 8   .429 14 – 14   .500
Santa Clara † 6 – 8   .429 18 – 14   .563
San Francisco 6 – 8   .429 16 – 12   .571
Pepperdine 5 – 9   .357 12 – 18   .400
Loyola Marymount 4 – 10   .286 12 – 16   .429
† Conference tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 1986–87 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC) during the 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by fifth-year head coach Dan Fitzgerald, the Bulldogs were 18–9 (.667) overall in the regular season (9–5 in WCAC, 2nd), and played their home games on campus at the newly renamed Charlotte Y. Martin Centre (formerly Kennedy Pavilion) in Spokane, Washington.[1][2]

After four years away from the bench, athletic director Fitzgerald had resumed his former role as head coach the previous season.[3][4]

The conference tournament made its debut this year; the Zags were upset at home by seventh-seeded Pepperdine in the quarterfinals to finish at 18–10 (.643).[2] Their first tournament wins came five years later in 1992 when they advanced to the final,[5] but fell by three to the top-seeded Waves.[6]

Gonzaga's previous postseason appearance was a decade earlier, in the four-team tournament of the Big Sky Conference.[7]

Postseason results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
WCAC tournament
Sat, Feb 28
7:30 pm 		(2) (7) Pepperdine
Quarterfinal 		L 73–76  18–10
 Martin Centre 
Spokane, Washington
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Pacific time.

References

  1. ^ Sparks, Jim (March 18, 1987). "Gonzaga dedicates center - with a flair". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. A3.
  2. ^ a b Blanchette, John (March 1, 1987). "GU postseason a post-mortem". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  3. ^ Blanchette, John (April 4, 1985). "'I'm just looking for a change'". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
  4. ^ Blanchette, John (November 22, 1985). "Zags need some perspective". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 28.
  5. ^ Blanchette, John (March 9, 1992). "It's Zags, Waves for WCC title". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
  6. ^ "Waves dunk Zags for WCC title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 10, 1992. p. 3D.
  7. ^ "Gonzaga, Montana State in tough but not without chances". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). March 4, 1977. p. 31.


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