GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dressed in crisp Nike uniforms, boasting tall and talented players, competing for a coach who has been with the program through 19 straight N.C.A.A. tournament appearances, the Gonzaga Bulldogs looked on Saturday night as blue-blooded as any member of college basketball’s aristocracy.
And that was before play even began. The top-seeded Bulldogs (37-1) then stayed with, built a lead on and survived a late scare from South Carolina (26-11), which plays in the Southeastern Conference and had beaten traditional powers seeded second, third and fourth in the past two weeks to make it to the Final Four.