@Gonzaga - March 2009

Men, Women Zags Go Dancin' in NCAA Tournament
By PETER TORMEY
Get your dancin' shoes on because the Bulldogs' men and the women are going to the Big Dance. The Zags men (26-5) earned the No. 4 seed in the Portland/South Regional when the NCAA announced its pairings Sunday for the NCAA Tournament and will take on the (23-12) Zips from the University of Akron, the No. 13 seed, at the Rose Garden in Portland at 4:25 p.m. Thursday. It's the first time the two schools will have met on the basketball court. The winner plays Saturday against the winner of the Illinois vs. Western Kentucky match-up.

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GU EVENT HIGHLIGHTS


	March 18, 3:30pm - 4:45pm CLP Welcomes Fr. Greg Boyle to Speak March 18, *Event Cancelled "Inspired to Learn" lecture in San Francisco has been cancelled March 19, 4:25pm PT NCAA Tournament - Gonzaga Men's Basketball vs Akron March 20 - July 31 Famed Jacob Lawrence Works Open at Jundt March 20 - 22 Students' Theatre to Present Sartre's 'No Exit' March 21, 7:30pm PT NCAA Tournament - Gonzaga Women's Basketball vs Xavier March 27 - April 3 GU Theatre Presents 'Urinetown: The Musical' March 27 - 29 Final Cardoner Retreat Athletic Schedules www.GoZags.com

Gonzaga Athletic Club “Spokane City
Champs,” 1907-1908.

GONZAGA BASKETBALL HISTORY
Gonzaga College started playing basketball in February 1905 after the gymnasium (now Magnuson Theatre) was built. Like baseball and football, there was no set schedule or league play; instead, there were 12 intramural teams for all ages its inaugural year. Later, the Gonzaga basketball team would play other schools and city teams. In 1909, Gonzaga was on its way to becoming the Spokane champions by beating the rival YMCA team 24-17 in an exceptionally rough game. One Gonzaga player was given a warning by a referee that the next offense would result in his “banishment.” After the game, the local newspaper wrote that the two referees “were perfectly cool in the most exciting situations and conducted the game in a masterly fashion.” In January 1911, Gonzaga College secured its first athletic victory over Washington State College (now WSU) by winning a basketball game 30-12. Gonzaga’s basketball program continued to grow. In 1944, Gonzaga’s V-12 (a military training program) basketball team was ranked 22nd among the nation’s 534 colleges and was the Northwest championship team. From the 1940s on, basketball was a major sport offered at Gonzaga University.

For more detailed history about Gonzaga, visit: foley.gonzaga.edu/GUHistory. Photo and text courtesy of the GU Archives.