No. 14 Gonzaga Slips, Surrenders Lead in 81-80 Loss to LSU
Despite a seemingly commanding lead at a point in the second half, Gonzaga lost its grasp on the rebounding battle, leaving room for an offseason target to hand the Zags their first loss of the season.
Dominating LSU on the offensive glass and in the turnover battle, the only explanation for the No. 14 Gonzaga Bulldogs’ (2-1) two-point halftime deficit was missed opportunities. But although the Zags momentarily finished their possessions in the second half, the Tigers (4-0) flipped the switch on the boards late and got a clutch bucket from a big-time 5-in-5 offensive acquisition to cap a comeback upset win.
LSU point guard Donovan Dent led all players in scoring (23 points) and assisting (10 dimes), punctuating his performance with a game-winning stepback 3-pointer to give the Tigers a one-point lead with 1.5 seconds to go. Davis Fogle’s half-court prayer out of a timeout clanked high off the backboard, and the Bulldogs were left stunned 81-80 in Numerica Veterans Arena, falling in the first-ever matchup between the programs.
GU led by 13 with eight minutes remaining, but relinquished the lead because of an inability to protect the glass and empty clutch-time possessions. Finishing was a consistent problem; Gonzaga couldn't put the ball through the basket at its usual frequency despite high-percentage looks and extra chances throughout. They finished 33-of-74 (44%) from the field, with Braden Huff (8-of-16) and Xaivian Lee (4-of-7) the only Zags to shoot better than 50%, and Lee only played 13 minutes due to foul trouble. The Bulldogs also shot just 29% from 3-point range, their worst mark of the season so far.
After trading buckets to start the second half, Gonzaga put together a strong defensive stretch to separate. But once they built a double-digit advantage, their dominance on the glass waned. GU grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in the first half, but the Tigers logged 15 offensive boards in the second half, leading to clutch putback buckets inside and back-breaking 3-pointers.
“We’d get the stop on the first action, and then [LSU] just pinned their ears back, and we couldn’t get an offensive rebound there at the end,” head coach Mark Few said. “…They made more plays than we did down the stretch.”
