Gonzaga put their Top-5 play style on display last night when they toppled Arizona 91-74. This put Gonzaga up to 5-0 for the year and they will try to keep this trend, until conference play. Arizona, however, picks up their first loss on the season and now sit at 4-1.
Recap
I am sure no one expected the game we got. From the first couple of minutes in the first half it looked to be a dogfight between the two, each just extended a small lead over the other. Things got interesting when the game hit the 6:22 mark, this is where Arizona had developed a 5-point lead. Gonzaga seemed to be plagued in this stretch of the last half by turnovers and missed shots. Ultimately, this worked so much for the Arizona team that they kept a comfortable lead on the Bulldogs all the way to half, where the led 45-37. If Mark Few hadn’t gathered his players to ensure they kept their composure, this would’ve been a great upset. It looked to be the same narrative early in the second half. But, then we saw Gonzaga slowly chip away point by point at this Arizona lead. When the game clock had reached 12:00 in the second, Gonzaga had taken back the lead. And it really seemed that they came to win, as they only had gone down by a point, soon after, but then built on their next lead to the win. Gonzaga scared many of its fans on this one, but showed excessive amounts of experience and motivation to comeback and get the win.
Player of the Game
Josh Perkins was a player that caught my eye in the game, in the sense that he took smart opportunities. This can either be taking shots he knows he will make or even just passing the ball if he didn’t feel comfortable. Perkins piled up 18 points (7-11 FG and 4-8 3PT), 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals. This well rounded effort by Perkins showed helped the Bulldogs with a needed victory.
Up Next
Gonzaga: vs. No. 1 Duke (Maui Jim Maui Final) – 11/21 at 5:00 PM ET
Arizona: vs. No. 8 Auburn (Compensation Bracket) – 11/21 at 11:30 PM ET
Photo Credits: https://gozags.com/news/2018/11/21/mens-basketball-no-3-3-gonzaga-faces-no-1-1-duke-for-maui-title.aspx
