One Gonzaga player briefly lost focus on ball and man.
Freshman guard Mario Saint-Supery produced a viral moment after crashing into a cheerleader during Monday’s WCC Tournament matchup with Oregon State at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The first-year Bulldog careened into the squad of Beavers’ cheerleaders under the hoop after nailing an and-one layup in transition for the first bucket of the game.
Saint-Supery was clearly apologetic after the incident — but while none of the cheerleaders appeared injured or upset by the rather mild collision, he certainly took his time to make sure they were alright.
Gonzaga seniors Jalen Warley and Graham Ike trotted down to the baseline to help lift their grounded teammate, the latter adding some extra emphasis on his tug of Saint-Supery’s arm — as if to say, “It’s the postseason. Lock in.”
Save for that brief lapse in concentration, the No. 12-ranked Bulldogs kept their eyes on the prize and rolled to a 65–56 win over the Beavers.
Saint-Supery bolstered a modest four-point performance with four steals, three assists, and a pair of rebounds, while Ike willed the team to victory with 24 points and 11 boards.
The newcomer responded to the viral clip on his Instagram story after the game, writing, “Just tried to be polite,” along with a laughing emoji.
Gonzaga improved to 29–3 overall this season and punctuated its chokehold over the WCC before moving to the Pac-12 next year.
With the win, the dynastic Bulldogs advanced to their 29th consecutive conference championship game, far and away the longest streak in Division I history.
They’ll face Santa Clara in Tuesday’s finale, with tipoff scheduled for 9 p.m. ET in Las Vegas.
