Saint Mary's Erupts in Second Half, Defeats No. 9 Gonzaga 70-59
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Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Davis Fogle (4) rebounds the ball against the St. Mary’s Gaels during the second half at University Credit Union Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images [/caption]
MORAGA, Calif. – A tale of two halves might be an understatement. Opening the final regular-season WCC matchup between rivals Gonzaga (28-3, 16-2) and Saint Mary’s (27-4, 16-2), it was the Bulldogs who brought the energy to UCU Pavilion. Graham Ike was great in the first 20 minutes, gesturing back to the Gael Force, SMC’s student section, each time he converted a field goal. Saint Mary’s was hesitant to push the ball inside, taking more shots from beyond the arc than inside it, with its star forward Paulius Murauskas as the poster player for that style of basketball.
But the continuous three-point shooting became a weapon for the Gaels in the second half, while the Zags couldn’t come up with an answer. Ike was held to only four points after halftime and also fouled out with 3:45 to play. It was Gaels guard Mikey Lewis who stole the show, scoring a career-high 31 points with seven made threes, leading a ferocious attack that helped SMC surge to a 70-59 win and clinch at least a share of the conference regular-season title for the fourth consecutive season.
“I thought our defense was excellent in the first half. To me, it was a tale of two halves,” Few said. “…They were definitely the tougher team in the second half.”
Early on, Ike was able to get to his spots, maneuvering around defenders to score in the paint and then pulling up at the top of the key for a couple of three-pointers when they sagged off. Joining him in the initiative to attack Saint Mary’s downhill were Adam Miller and Tyon Grant-Foster, who combined for 17 points in the first half. Miller connected on a couple of floaters as the ball-handler on two pick-and-rolls, while Grant-Foster put the ball on the floor each time he saw Murauskas matched up with him, getting to the free-throw line on two occasions in addition to finishing some layups through contact.
The one constant for SMC offensively was freshman Mantas Juzenas, who drained four threes on six attempts off the bench, delivering a spark to keep the Gaels out of a larger deficit going into the locker room.
The Zags were also locked in defensively to start, holding SMC to just 29.4% shooting in the first half, and specifically 3-of-14 (21.4%) on two-point attempts. The Gaels refrained from driving aggressively like their opponents—a reflection of the Bulldogs’ defense and timidness from Saint Mary’s—opting to let it fly from distance, hitting seven of 19 tries. Physicality and length from Emmanuel Innocenti on the perimeter deterred the rare penetration attempts, while Grant-Foster picked up three blocks in the first half. He stood his ground admirably in the starting lineup, replacing Jalen Warley, who missed his second straight game with a quad contusion he’s been dealing with for nearly a month.
None of those guys could get into a rhythm in the second half. Ike was guarded well by Saint Mary’s lone senior, Harry Wessels, and didn’t score until the 7:09 mark. Miller shot 1-for-6 from the floor, as several of his attempts popcorned in and out of the basket, which he mainly chalked up to “poor shot quality”. Gonzaga was 2-of-12 from three-point range, which continues to be one of the main weaknesses of the roster.
“Our offense is what really hurt us in the second half; we couldn’t buy a bucket there forever,” Few said blatantly.
Meanwhile, Lewis gave SMC a serious jolt. He drilled two threes over closing defenders, and then made a few more when the Bulldogs left him too much space, which Few termed a “total lack of understanding who’s hot and who isn’t.” The sophomore wound up with 21 in the half, providing dynamic, back-breaking shot-making that the Zags couldn’t match.
On the possessions Lewis got deserved defensive attention, he dished it to his running mate in the backcourt, Joshua Dent, who hit three shots from distance in the period. The hot shooting woke the Gael Force even more, and Murauskas knocked down a three-pointer of his own in front of the ruckus home crowd. By the time the clock hit zero, SMC had made a season-high 14 threes.
To add insult to injury, when a Saint Mary’s shot attempt did rim off, GU allowed nine offensive rebounds, leading to 11 second-chance points. With each extra possession the Gaels gained, the pressure increased in the building, not to mention the suffocating feeling that set in as the game went on, said Miller.
“It was really, really hot in there. Halfway through the second half, I’m like ‘I can barely breathe’, and that doesn’t help having to guard an extra 30 seconds,” he shared. “…It’s completely demoralizing.”
Although the Bulldogs handled Warley’s absence fine in the win on Wednesday over Portland, his impact was missed severely in this one. His on-ball defense and prowess on the glass would’ve helped to slow Lewis down in the second half and limit offensive boards, and Gonzaga hopes the senior’s status will be much better than it is currently by the time the conference tournament rolls around.
“He’s not moving good, doesn’t seem to be getting better, kind of non-functional when he’s out there,” Few said. “Hopefully, stacking these days (off) will get some results, but he’s just not moving very well at all.”
Miller added: “Would’ve loved to have had him out there, he does a lot of things. Obviously, you can see how his presence is missed, he’s a hell of a player,” he said. “I think if we had him out there tonight, it definitely would’ve been a little bit tougher for them because he does so many things.”
Despite being a Swiss-Army knife and a positive contributor in so many areas, Warley hasn’t even attempted a three-point shot all season. That doesn’t bode well for a squad that is shooting 34% from beyond the arc (ninth in WCC) and will still be without star forward Braden Huff as an offensive option. Also, point guards Mario Saint-Supéry and Braeden Smith combined for just 2 points on 0-of-5 shooting in the game, as the disparity in creation from the guard position between the two teams was eye-opening.
The first loss GU suffered this season, a 101-61 drubbing to Michigan, seemed like a difference of talent combined with extremes on both sides. Its second loss, 87-80 to Portland, was described by players and coaches as a lack of effort on the Zags’ part. But this loss highlighted several holes in the Bulldogs’ play that could cost them another early exit in March Madness or, prior to that, prevent them from winning the conference tournament. There is a solid likelihood Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s will meet again in Las Vegas, and the response from the Bulldogs in that potential matchup could be telling.
“I think it’s just–relight the fire when something like this happens, kind of gotta bounce back,” Miller said. “…A lot of guys are upset; I think it’ll really help us.”
