ZAGS 360: Week 5 – Gonzaga wins three games but Jalen Suggs misses two
Teresa Powe
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After blowouts against both Northern Arizona and Dixie State, the Zags open the West Coast Conference defeating San Francisco in typical Gonzaga style.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs remain undefeated, and it looks as though they can remain undefeated. Not only did they win big, but they delivered crushing defeats solidifying their number one status. Last week the Zags slew two non-conference teams, honing their skills …just in time for conference play.
Finishing 2020 Gonzaga style
Gonzaga ended the year the way it began. Steamrolling over their opponents with 30 and 45 point wins over Northern Arizona and Dixie State, respectively. Joel Ayayi “showed out” with 38 points, seven of nine from three, and 21 rebounds over the two games. He has become quite the shining star. There was no terrifying trio as Jalen Suggs sat out the final two games of 2020 with a right leg injury.
Rebounds had as much to do with Northern Arizona’s 88-58 loss to the Bulldogs as scoring. The Zags had 43 rebounds to UNA’s 29.
In the 112-67 win over Dixie State, the Gonzaga Bulldogs had 63 points in the first half alone. Corey Kispert with Joel Ayayi had no mercy on the Trailblazers. Kispert had 25 points, including four of six from three; Oumar Ballo (Baby Shaq), in his best college showing, rounded out this trio with 17 points. Subbing for the injured Suggs, freshman Dominick Harris had eight points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Speaking of Harris. Coach Few threw the freshman in for Suggs in both non-conference games, and Harris did a very good job. He contributed 12 points in the Northern Arizona game and eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in the Dixie State game. Maybe Few was auditioning him for when Suggs makes the leap to the NBA?
Gonzaga vs. San Francisco
This was an important and exciting game to start the West Coast Conference season. The San Francisco Dons thought they had Gonzaga figured out. They thought that if Corey Kispert couldn’t shoot the three, the Bulldogs could be beaten…NOT! If you come out to defend Kispert against the three, he’s just going to shoot from mid-range or get in the paint for the twos. So the Zags won’t blow you out by 30 or 4. They’ll defeat you by 23. By the way, Kispert hit a buzzer-beater three at the end of the first half.
Four Bulldogs scored in double figures. Jalen Suggs returned but found himself in foul trouble, eventually fouling out the game. It seemed to me that maybe he returned just a little too soon. He looked tired and a little worn down. Filling in for Suggs, Andrew Nembhard had 14 points. Kispert led the team with 26 points, three rebounds; Joel Ayayi had another double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Drew Timme also had a double-double contributing 10 points and 11 rebounds.
USF tried but failed not only in stopping Kispert but in rebounding. Compared to the Bulldogs 40 rebounds, San Francisco had 25 rebounds, including a 10-5 loss on the offensive glass. With the win, Gonzaga is 10-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference.
The Week Ahead
- The West Coast Conference schedule has the Zags playing only Thursdays and Saturdays from now until March. This week’s games will be broadcast on Root Sports Northwest.
- Gonzaga will meet up with the 6-2 Santa Clara Broncos this Thursday. The Broncos are on a two-game losing streak with losses against Colorado State and USC.
- The 6-3 Portland Pilots are up Saturday. The Pilots’ biggest loss was against number 21 Oregon by a crushing 39 points.
What to look for
- In their last win, the UCSC Broncos Josip Vrankic and Keshawn Justice both had double-doubles.
- Eddie Davis, Ahmed Ali, and Latrell Jones all scored in double figures in Portland’s last win, although none had 20 points.
- As always, look out for those teams who have to postpone their schedules due to Covid-19 protocol.
Happy New Year Zags fans! I look forward to Gonzaga continuing their undefeated streak.