3 Takeaways From Gonzaga's Narrow Home Win Over San Francisco

Mark Few and nan Gonzaga Bulldogs picked up their 3rd triumph successful a statement without some Braden Huff and Graham Ike - but this 1 was rather a spot tougher than nan erstwhile two.

The Zags survived against a very resilient San Francisco squad, winning 68-66 erstwhile Barry Wang's last 3 constituent effort fell conscionable disconnected nan rim.

Gonzaga (21-1, 9-0) sewage disconnected to a slow commencement offensively and an unthinkable commencement defensively, arsenic has been nan lawsuit successful each crippled without Huff and Ike, heading into nan first media timeout pinch a 6-0 lead. Gonzaga's starting 5 of Braeden Smith, Adam Miller, Emmanuel Innocenti, Jalen Warley, and Ismaila Diagne was nails defensively, but they didn't person a go-to feline to get nan shot to connected discourtesy - and it showed.

However, Davis Fogle, followed by Mario Saint-Supery, Tyon Grant-Foster, and Steele Venters, coming successful provided a jolt of discourtesy - while nan squad maintained nan strength connected nan different extremity of nan level - resulting successful a 13-0 lead astatine nan 13:31 mark.

It wasn't until sophomore Tyrone Riley deed a area 3 astatine nan 12:40 people that USF had their first points of nan game, pinch much Dons turnovers (3) than made section goals (1).

Just erstwhile nan discourtesy looked afloat stalled out, Grant-Foster went into takeover mode. Gonzaga had a 14-7 lead earlier nan 6'7 helping scored six points successful 43 seconds, putting nan Zags up 13 and forcing a San Francisco timeout.

The Dons refused to spell away, however, getting wrong 5 points aggregate times successful nan 2nd half earlier USF defender Vukasin Masic buried 2 threes successful nan last 80 seconds to make it a 1 possession game. However, Gonzaga locked down capable connected defense to unafraid nan victory, contempt nan herculean effort from USF's extracurricular shooters.

Below is simply a look astatine 3 cardinal takeaways from Gonzaga's 34th consecutive triumph complete nan Dons:

1. Great defense...except connected nan perimeter

The Dons were perfectly scorching basking from nan 3 constituent statement connected Saturday night, shooting 14-28 from 3 and astir utilizing nan extracurricular to return Gonzaga down.

Ryan Beasley, who came into this crippled shooting 31.1% from three, went a blistering 4-7, while Legend Smiley (5-6) had a profession nighttime and Vukasin Masic deed a brace of important ones successful nan last 80 seconds. Gonzaga wasn't giving up a ton of wide unfastened looks, a batch of this was nan Dons taking - and making - really reliable shots from beyond nan arc.

USF whitethorn person made this a crippled acknowledgment to beardown extracurricular shooting, but they were beautiful atrocious wrong nan arc. The Dons changeable conscionable 2-10 connected 2 constituent attempts successful nan first half, pinch some those makes coming from Masic. They vanished an disfigured 8-27 from wrong nan arc

Gonzaga not only did a awesome occupation forcing USF into reliable shots astatine nan rim, but they utilized progressive hands connected dribble drives to make a whopping 11 steals - their 4th consecutive crippled pinch 10+ takeaways and tenth connected nan year. That led Gonzaga to an unthinkable 17-5 advantage successful points disconnected turnovers, because:

2. Gonzaga took fantabulous attraction of nan basketball

San Francisco is 1 of nan worst teams successful assemblage hoops successful position of generating turnovers defensively - and they surely didn't thief themselves successful that class connected Saturday. The Zags did not person a azygous turnover successful nan first half connected Saturday, and vanished pinch conscionable 7 connected nan night.

Turnovers became an rumor for a 5 infinitesimal agelong midway done nan 2nd half, wherever nan Zags coughed it up 5 times, but different it was an incredibly cleanable crippled from nan Bulldogs.

It whitethorn person been a reliable shooting nighttime for Gonzaga successful a batch of ways, but taking elite attraction of nan hoops was a awesome facet successful nan team's win.

3. Where is nan three-ball?

It whitethorn look counterintuitive, but nan nonaccomplishment of Huff and Ike has resulted successful Gonzaga making little shots from three. The large men bid truthful overmuch attraction from opposing defenses, and their expertise to footwear nan shot retired gives GU's shooters unfastened looks - which conscionable aren't happening successful nan team's caller look offense.

Gonzaga changeable 0-9 from 3 successful nan first half, pinch Fogle, Saint-Supery, and Miller each missing a brace while Grant-Foster and Smith went 0-1 each. USF flashed a area defense but didn't tally it much, which is astir apt a bully point for nan Bulldogs.

Smith yet deed a 3 astatine nan 15:12 people successful nan 2nd half to springiness Gonzaga their first make of nan game. They ended up finishing a miserable 3-18 from nan perimeter.

The Zags tin get by pinch suffocating defense and beardown isolation scoring from Grant-Foster and Fogle, but nan deficiency of publication from nan perimeter - peculiarly from sharpshooters Steele Venters (0-2) and Miller (0-1) is going to request to alteration for this squad to person a good rounded capable discourtesy to make a heavy tally successful March.

Gonzaga has a week disconnected to retrieve - and hopefully get Ike patient - earlier hosting nan Gaels of Saint Mary's connected Saturday, Jan. 31. The crippled tips astatine 7:30 PM PT and will beryllium broadcast connected ESPN.