Riding Several Dominant Runs, Gonzaga Routs Loyola Marymount in 82-47 Home Win
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Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34) shoots the ball against Loyola Marymount Lions center Rick Issanza (22) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images [/caption]
SPOKANE, Wash. – Just over six minutes into the game, No. 7 Gonzaga (16-1, 4-0) fell behind to Loyola Marymount (10-7, 1-3) by a score of 14-4, and an uncertain feeling likely crept back in for Bulldogs fans. Coming off of two straight games where San Diego stormed back in the second half to turn a once 21-point lead into only a six-point GU victory, and then the Zags using overtime to overcome a double-digit deficit versus Seattle U, it seemed they needed more heroics to pull out another conference win.
But Gonzaga reverted to its identity of ‘guarding their yard’ and stifling LMU offensively, which wound up resulting in a blowout victory that has become normal for the team this season.
The operation wasn’t completely ugly offensively to begin the contest, but shots simply weren’t falling for the Bulldogs. They started off shooting 1-for-9 from the field and missed their first seven attempts from three. Open looks were generated, but there was little want to push the ball inside, which is exactly what the Lions were doing, converting on some high-percentage shots near the cup.
Debuting an eighth different starting lineup already to this point, true freshman Davis Fogle was the newest wrinkle in Mark Few’s first five deployed, but the tweak clearly didn’t have a profound impact. According to the Gonzaga head coach, Fogle earned the nod based on his showing in recent practices. Pairing that with what players on the roster look like in game action, a definite starting lineup won’t be settled this season when factoring in the Zags’ assortment of talent.
“This is never going to be a five-man group,” Few said bluntly. “I think I’ve talked ad nauseum about our balance and our depth and all that…just gotta try and get them in there and see who’s on tonight and who isn’t and go from there and then try to reward some of these dudes who have either played well in previous games and/or practice, so they all stay hungry and happy.”
Needing a spark, a trio of guys who have routinely come off the bench this season provided it to get the Bulldogs going. Tyon Grant-Foster, Jalen Warley, and Adam Miller all played tremendous on-ball defense, igniting a 12-0 run for GU where LMU went over nine minutes without scoring a point. Warley and Miller each finished in double figures as the former shot an efficient 6-of-7 with seven rebounds while the latter connected on three of his five attempts from downtown. Grant-Foster added nine points and four rebounds, including a couple of dunks where he finished a lob off a dish from Warley, as well as posterizing Rokus Jocius on the baseline.
The suffocating stretch was one of three where Gonzaga scored at least 12 points before an answer by the Lions, who shot 19-for-63 (30%) from the floor.
“That second group came in and really flipped the script,” Few said.
‘Kills’ in basketball are termed as three straight stops on defense, a goal emphasized throughout the team. Miller said after the game that he couldn’t recall the exact amount yelled by his coaches during timeouts, but he knew they had at least two stretches of around double-digit possessions without allowing a bucket. The desire to continue to run that number up, no matter what it is, only fuels the fire.
“In those moments, I think it just kind of feeds more energy, and we feel our bench getting involved and other guys on the floor – almost celebrate that like it was an alley-oop dunk when we can stack stops in a row like that,” Warley said.
The collective mindset of playing defense allows for each player to be more loose, aggressive, and play to their strengths. Take Warley, for example, who loves to poke at the ball, which at times can lead to him being out of position. But he can take those risks more frequently because he knows the other Zags on the court are there to assist him on that end.
“It’s really easy to apply ball pressure when you know your teammates have your back. So if you do mess up or they do get a step on you, knowing that you have help on the backside, it just makes it really easy,” he explained. “Especially for me, I feel like I can try to get for steals and pick up guys…so it’s really a lot of fun being disruptive and seeing other teams struggle to run their offense, we take pride in that.”
Another key part of that group off the bench was point guard Mario Saint-Supéry, who hasn’t been exactly himself over the last several games. He had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting with five assists, including a no-look bounce pass from half court that Miller finished with a layup in transition. Coming down with the flu before the team played Oregon on December 21, the freshman from Spain attributed his recent struggles to just doing too much at times and needing to do more of what is necessary.
“I just was not making the shots. I was trying to do things that I didn’t have to do, and I was not playing the way I have to play, and I think I tried to get back to the way I’ve played to help the team as much as I can, and I think I did it,” Saint-Supéry said.
Even with a rough shot-making night from three and an early hiccup, Gonzaga ended a stretch of four games in seven days with a sizable win reminiscent of many games they played earlier in the season. The Zags will go for their tenth consecutive win as they conclude a three-game homestand with Santa Clara visiting Spokane on Thursday, January 8, at 8:30 PM PT.
