Difference makers: Donovan Clingan, Cam Spencer lead efficient UConn offense in win over Gonzaga

Donovan Clingan

As expected, UConn’s 7-footer was a handful for Gonzaga at both ends of the floor. Clingan, who scored six points and blocked three shots in 12 minutes off the bench during last year’s Elite Eight game, was outscoring the Zags by himself through the first 5 minutes of the game, making 4 of 5 shots inside the first 3½ minutes. Clingan was relatively quiet for the rest of the half, entering halftime with 10 points, but he had five of UConn’s first seven points early in the second half to help the Huskies pull away. The sophomore center finished with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field and he also had eight rebounds to go with two blocked shots.

Cam Spencer

The transfer guard from Rutgers wasn’t a part of the last meeting between these teams, but he didn’t wait long to make an impact on Friday’s rematch. Spencer, who had 23 points in UConn’s win over then-No. 9 North Carolina, didn’t score during his first shift off the Huskies’ bench but made the second one count. The junior scored his first points at the free-throw line then proceeded to knock down his next four shots – including a trio of 3s – to reach 13 points by halftime. The UConn guard, who entered Friday’s game shooting 45% from behind the arc, finished with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, including 3 of 5 from the 3-point line. Spencer also had two rebounds, two assists and a game-high three steals.

Turning point

During last year’s Elite Eight game in Las Vegas, UConn started to pull away from Gonzaga early in the second half. The Huskies didn’t wait long to build a double-digit and take command of Friday’s game at Climate Pledge Arena. Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard converted a three-point play with 3 minutes remaining in the first half, but Spencer responded with his third 3-pointer and UConn scored eight of the final 10 points before halftime to take a 45-34 lead. Gonzaga’s Nembhard scored on the first possession of the second half, but the Huskies strung together another mini-run, scoring seven consecutive points – five of them from Clingan – to a game-high 16 points with 17 minutes, 49 seconds left in the half.