A limited Sandarius Thornwell combined with an overpowering Przemek Karnowski ended perhaps the most memorable run in South Carolina men’s basketball history.

Thornwell, the Gamecocks’ leading scorer, who was sick earlier in the week, couldn’t find his stride while the Gonzaga big man started strong, and then returned from a poked eye, to lead the Bulldogs to the national championship game on Monday. What began as a defensive struggle gave way to easy buckets in the paint as Gonzaga built a big lead and then held on for a 77-73 victory in the first Final Four game on Saturday night.

When Karnowski wasn’t the difference, it was Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss, who at halftime had 12 points three rebound and three assists. Williams-Goss hit a 3-pointer with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game to give Gonzaga an 11-point lead and himself 20 points. And on the next play, he scored on an old-fashioned 3-point play.

Zach Collins, Gonzaga’s other big man, also contributed a double double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and six critical blocked shots.

Thornwell made it interesting with a 3 to fuel a 16-0 run over three minutes with less than 10 minutes remaining as the Gamecocks tied the game at 65 with 7:39 to go. Thornwell made a block and drew a charge in a momentum-changing sequence for the Gamecocks. That made Gonzaga’s nine-point halftime lead a distant memory, and gave the Gamecocks their first lead since early in the first half.

Before that run, South Carolina struggled to keep up in the rebounding department as five minutes into the second half, it trailed 26-18 in rebounds and had just five offensive rebounds.

But Gonzaga responded with its own 7-0 run to turn the lights out on the Gamecocks’ improbable run. The run started with Collins’ 3, the ninth one Gonzaga made.

The normally strong South Carolina defense was exploited, especially in the paint. South Carolina had previously surrendered at least 90 points once this season. Alabama scored 90 in February, but it needed four overtimes.

The season-ending loss was the end of a run the Gamecocks won’t soon forget.

For the Gamecocks to even arrive at the Final Four — held in the West for the first time in some two decades — they had to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 1973, and overcome a stretch of six losses in nine games entering the tournament. Not to mention being  a No. 7 seed out of a football conference.

This run matched South Carolina’s previous NCAA wins total. Its record in the NCAA Tournament entering this year’s event was 4-9.

Yet they arrived in Glendale, Ariz. after upsetting No. 2-seed Duke, No. 3-seed Baylor and SEC rival Florida, a No 4 seed to win the East Regional.

The Baylor win made Frank Martin the winningest NCAA Tournament coach in program history. He’s also recorded three of the four best single-season win totals in program history. The tournament win over Florida gave the team 26 wins this season, which topped the record tied last year at 25, the mark set by McGuire’s team in 1969-70.

It was a rough-and-tumble first half as play in the paint had everything but helmets and shoulder pads. One key sequence came with 5:12 remaining when Karnowski was poked in the eye on a block by Chris Silva and crashed to the court on a play near the basket. He left the game for the rest of the half.

Gonzaga’s 45 points were the most scored on South Carolina in the tournament, as the normally stingy defense allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 58 percent, while the Gamecocks shot 37 percent.

The Gamecocks kept it as close as they did because of 12 first-half points off the bench. They didn’t get the usual production from Thornwell, who missed practice earlier in the week because of a headache and fever. Thornwell had just five points in 18 minutes before halftime.

Thornwell, the SEC player of the year and the tournament’s leading scorer at 25.8 points per game average, returned to practice on Friday.

In earlier games against Florida and Baylor, South Carolina had three and nine bench points respectively. They spread the scoring as six Gamecocks scored in the first 11 minutes before Thornwell cracked the scoresheet. That helped the Gamecocks stick with Gonzaga after the Bulldogs began the game shooting 60 percent at the first media timeout.

The Gamecocks also benefitted from six Gonzaga turnovers that led to seven points.