ZAGS 360: Week Seven – Gonzaga Bulldogs give fans a scare
Teresa Powe
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The Gonzaga Bulldogs gave fans a scare this week that there would be no undefeated season.
A crazy week. The Gonzaga Bulldogs were down in the first half of both their games last week, leaving fans to wonder if there really would be an undefeated season.
Gonzaga vs. Pepperdine
The Bulldogs looked a little sluggish to me at the beginning of this game. The commentators let out that Pepperdine had not defeated Gonzaga since January 28, 2002. At that time, Hall of Famer Paul Westphal was the Pepperdine coach.
With the Zags looking as if they had no sleep the night before, and Pepperdine so close, I wondered if the Zags would go into the locker room losing. At the 6:15 mark, Pepperdine captured the lead…for 14 seconds. Actually, the Zags were up by four at the half, leaving fans like me, wondering if the winning streak could be in trouble.
The answer, no the streak is not in trouble. The Bulldogs came out in the second half and showed why they are the number one team in America. Corey Kispert, on his way to a game-high 23 points, and eight rebounds came out with a three-pointer right out of the gate. Drew Timme broke the defensive hold the Waves had on him and contributed 20 points and seven rebounds. Joel Ayayi had 19 points and Jalen Suggs had 18. Ayayi and Suggs were also in foul trouble, and Suggs had four turnovers.
Gonzaga vs. St. Mary’s
In last week’s Zags 360, I said this might be an interesting game. It most certainly was. St. Mary’s is a long-time rival of the Bulldogs. Last year’s WCC Tournament championship upset must have propelled them at the start of this game. Ten minutes in, the number one Zags were down to St. Mary’s by nine points, 11-20.
I couldn’t believe it. I was pretty sure the Zags were going down for their first defeat. With 2:30 to go in the first half, the two teams were tied. By halftime, Gonzaga had a 32-25 lead.
Suggs had a pretty good game. Fourteen points, and five turnovers. In the Pepperdine game, he had four turnovers. He is still playing the Suggs way. He looks agitated since his return from a leg injury last week.
Corey Kispert led the team with 17 points on three of six from beyond the arc. Not one of the Bulldogs scored more than the teens. Gonzaga is now 5-0 for the conference and 14-0 for the season.
The week ahead
The Bulldogs continue with West Coast Conference play this week returning to Spokane to take on the Pacific Tigers. The Tigers are on a four-game win streak with victories over Santa Clara, LMU, and Westmont. It’s a much better situation than the program’s two-week shutdown in early December.
Things to look for
- We must still be on the lookout for teams postponing or delaying their games due to Covid.
- Daniss Jenkins is a player to look out for on the Pacific team.
This was an exciting week. Can’t wait to see what’s on the next horizon. Stay safe out there!