ZAGS 360: Week 11 – Gonzaga basketball is back on track
Last week, the Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated BYU and San Francisco in grand Zags style. With the wins, GU is 20-for-20 this season.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs had been a little shaky at the beginning of several of their last games. I feared the Zags wouldn’t always be able to do their amazing comebacks and remain undefeated. Not so for these two games. The Bulldogs led all the way in both.
Gonzaga 82 – BYU 71
Many thought that the Cougars actually had a chance to beat Gonzagas. Brigham Young was the last team to defeat the Zags back on February 22, 2020. Nope. Not this time. The Bulldogs came out fas with a 15-2 lead to let BYU know they were not the same team the Cougars defeated in 2020. “It’s still a bitter taste in my mouth,” said Drew Timme.
BYU’s Alex Barcello tried his best to keep his team in this game. He contributed 20 points to his team’s loss. The closest they came was eight points in the second half. BYU coach Mark Pope said the Zags were “deceptively physical.”
The Terrifying Trio did some of their best work. Jalen Suggs led all players with 24 points. He added five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. It was good to see him back to his old self. Drew Timme had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Corey Kispert also contributed 13 points to go along with three assists.
Gonzaga 100 – San Francisco 61
This is what I’m talking about. The Dons had no chance at this game. They missed their first 10 shots and didn’t score until there were less than 12 minutes left in the first half. Gonzaga defeated USF in prime Gonzaga style. The Zags defense was there, while the offense led by Drew Timme was incredible.
In my opinion, Timme could have had upwards of 30 points if he wanted to. He had 15 points in the first seven minutes and finished with 28. Timme also had 10 rebounds and two blocks. An all-around game.
The other members of the Trio, Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs had 12 and 11 points respectively. Kispert added four rebounds and Suggs chipped in five boards and two steals. Joel Ayayi had 12 points and five rebounds. Andrew Nembhard started for the second game in a row and contributed eight points and five assists. Aaron Cook led the bench players with 12 points and three steals.
What’s ahead
The team is back at home for a rematch with St. Mary’s Gaels. The Zags defeated St. Mary’s in mid-January 73-59. Since that time St. Mary’s had six games postponed/canceled due to Covid protocols.
Next up is the last game on their regular season schedule with the Bulldogs meeting the San Diego Toreros once again. Their last meeting in late January was a 90-62 Zags win. The Toreros haven’t played since going down to Gonzaga the last time.
What to look for
- The Gonzaga Bulldogs having an undefeated season! There has been no mention so far of them making up any further games. St. Mary’s and San Diego are the last teams on their schedule.
- The Zags returning to their old form, leading from start to finish.
- Covid-19 cancellations/postponements across the NCAA.
- The Bubble Watch!
This has been both an exciting and rewarding experience for me following and reporting on the Gonzaga Bulldogs. I look forward to the Bubble Watch and seeing this team get to the top of the NCAA. It’s been a long road, the team and their Coach Mark Few deserve to win after such an exciting season.
Until next week, stay healthy and safe!