GLENDALE, Ariz. — Mark Few wrote the introduction for a book by his college roommate about the power of perseverance. On Saturday night, the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, which Few had built from a mid-major curiosity into a championship contender, provided him with material for a postscript.

Gonzaga, making its 19th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance but its first trip to the Final Four, advanced to the national championship game with a 77-73 victory over South Carolina at University of Phoenix Stadium. In the final Monday night, the Bulldogs will face a fellow No. 1 seed, North Carolina, which beat Oregon 77-76 later Saturday.

Nigel Williams-Goss, a junior guard, contributed 23 points, six assists and five rebounds, and his freshman roommate, Zach Collins, added 14 points and 13 rebounds for Gonzaga, a program that thrust itself into the national consciousness by reaching the Elite Eight in 1999 — but until this season had never gotten any further.

This season, the Bulldogs (37-1) spent four weeks at No. 1 in the national polls before being dealt their only loss, to Brigham Young, in their final game of the regular season. On Saturday night, they could barely contain their excitement at the opportunity they had given themselves to be unequivocally known as college basketball’s best.

Few, who is known for his even-keeled demeanor, was so overcome with emotion that he executed a handstand in the locker room. “I felt like I stuck it,” he said with a laugh, adding, “Sometimes I worry that my guys get like, it’s a job. And we’ve been on them to show emotion. So that’s my fairly weak effort of showing emotion.”

South Carolina (26-11), a seventh seed that had defied all expectation to get so far, was also making its first trip to the Final Four. The Gamecocks were led by Chris Silva, who had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

NCAA title game

North Carolina vs. Gonzaga

When: 6:20 p.m. Monday

TV: CBS