ZAGS 360 – What a Wonder of a Week Two
What a week for the Gonzaga Bulldogs! First, Jalen Sugg’s ankle scare during the West Virginia game. Second, the much-anticipated No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 2 Baylor was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs had a hard time right out of the gate during the West Virginia game. The Mountaineers were ready; they wanted a victory and were very physical about it. At the 7:07 point in the first half, Jalen Suggs went down with what looked to be a serious ankle injury. An athlete and non-athlete testing positive for Covid canceling the game of the season.
Gonzaga vs. West Virginia – Jimmy V. Classic
West Virginia used their physicality offensively and defensively in an attempt to wear down the Bulldogs. Gonzaga started out in a word – disappointing. To make matters worse, at the 7:07 mark of the first half, Jalen Suggs went down. He clutched his ankle and had to be helped to the locker room.
When he returned to the court, it was on crutches. Twitter went wild with torn Achilles speculations. It honestly made me a little nervous, as I’m sure it did most Gonzaga fans. Losing Suggs also seemed to deflate his teammates mentally. That change in attitude wasn’t lost on the Mountaineers. WVU took advantage of Gonzaga’s let down, pulling out to a 33-24 lead.
There was one member of the Bulldogs team who did the opposite. Andrew Nembhard made the most of his opportunity and took off. He ended the game with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 35 minutes.
When to everyone’s surprise, Suggs returned to action in the second half, it was as though the Zags took a shot of adrenaline. Joel Ayayi and Corey Kispert went into action. Ayayi contributed 21 points, Kispert had 19, and Drew Timme added 17 points. Jalen Suggs may have only had four points, but the kid was the star of this game. It was his energy that propelled this 87-82 victory.