PORTLAND - As Gonzaga found itself trailing Akron 38-35 at halftime of their NCAA First Round Matchup, Bulldog point guard Jeremy Pargo wore a look on his face that was one part anger, one part frustration, and one part focus.
His eyes were smoldering - burning holes into his teammates.
He didn't say a word as the Zags walked to the locker room; that gaze spoke loud and clear: He wasn't happy with his play, he wasn't happy with the team's performance, and he wasn't about to let it continue in the second half. "I felt that we were lagging a little bit. I felt I had a couple opportunities that I didn't take advantage of and I was a little frustrated with myself," Pargo said. That intensity found its way onto the court in the second half, as the Zags went on a furious run, punctuated by Pargo's soaring dunk with 4:15 left. Gonzaga won 77-64, and more importantly for Pargo, advanced to the second round. After experiencing the high of reaching the Sweet Sixteen as a freshman in 2006, Pargo saw his teams lose in the first round in 2007 and 2008, the latter being a disappointing upset at the hands of Davidson. The memories of two consecutive letdowns had weighed on the point guard's mind as the Bulldogs began their 2009 tourney run.
"The last few years we let the game get away from us, and last few years I've been the starting point guard. And I take a lot of blame for that," he said. But despite the mounting pressure and temptation to shoulder the weight of postseason success by himself, Pargo understood that he couldn't do it all alone. As his team headed into the locker room at halftime, Pargo knew what he needed to set his mind right.
"One of the things I wanted to focus on going into that locker room was staying with the team, and not trying to take everything all by myself and become a complete failure," he said. "I wanted to stay with the team, and play as a team, and we did that in the second half and got the win."
What a team game it was. The Zags went on a 19-1 run to put Akron away for good, and four Zags scored in double-figures. Pargo's stat line didn't jump off the page - nine points, five assists, two rebounds - but his determination to succeed rubbed off onto the rest of the Zags, propelling them to the second round, and providing Pargo with a little redemption.
With the obstacle of the first round finally behind him after the win, the smoldering look on Pargo's face was finally gone. In it's place: his trademark smile, and a look of relief.
-Scouting the Hilltoppers- 12-seeded Western Kentucky is coming into Saturday's second-round matchup with the Zags after upsetting 5-seeded Illinois 76-72 on Thursday. Sophomore forward Steffphon Pettigrew led the Hilltoppers with 17 points while sophomore guard Sergio Kerusch added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Western Kentucky went 25-8 overall this past season, and posted a 15-3 record in Sun Belt Conference play. They earned an automatic bid after winning the conference tournament. They're led by junior guard A.J. Slaughter, who averaged a team best 15.8 points per game in 2009. "Western Kentucky has been a team that's been good for a long time," Pargo said. "This isn't the first time I've heard about them. This isn't the first time I've seen them." The Bulldogs defeated the Hilltoppers 74-71 in the opening round of the Great Alaska Shootout in November 2007. Matt Bouldin led the Zags with 18 points while Micah Downs added 14. Slaughter scored 13 points in that game for WKU. That was the only previous meeting between the two teams. Since then, the Hilltoppers have gone through some changes. Star forward Courtney Lee was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 2008, making Slaughter the only returning starter from that year's team. The coaching staff has changed as well, with first year coach Ken McDonald replacing Darrin Horn. "I think it's totally different," said Zags' head coach Mark Few. "They ran everything pretty much around Courtney Lee, as well they should have. It's still Western Kentucky on their jerseys, but their personnel has changed and what they're doing offensively and defensively is different." The Hilltoppers had a memorable Sweet Sixteen run as a 12-seed in the 2008 tournament, including a last-second 3-pointer to defeat 5-seeded Drake in the first round. With WKU's recent success, Few isn't taking anything for granted.
"Wow, I see a lot of challenges," he said. "The first one being that they've been here and been successful in this game most recently, getting themselves to a Sweet Sixteen. They're really clicking on offense, really clicking."
The Zags and Hilltoppers tip off at 5:10 p.m., Saturday at the Rose Garden. The winner will advance to Memphis for the third round of the South Regional, and face the winner of No. 1 North Carolina and No. 8 LSU.
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