Recap and highlights: Gonzaga catches fire to turn in impressive 92-58 win over Loyola Marymount
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There was symmetry in Loyola Marymount’s rash of first-half turnovers.
The first came 10 seconds into the game. The 10th was committed with 10:10 left on the clock. The 13th and last of the opening 20 minutes came on the Lions’ final possession.
Gonzaga didn’t convert on every LMU miscue, but 16 of the Zags’ first 25 points were courtesy of turnovers. It fueled Gonzaga’s early double-digit lead that turned into a 92-58 West Coast Conference blowout Tuesday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Gonzaga (16-5, 7-1 WCC) won its fifth straight. LMU (10-12, 3-5), which pulled off a 68-67 upset a year ago in the McCarthey Athletic Center, has dropped its last two games against the Zags by a combined 77 points.
The Zags entertain rival Saint Mary’s on Saturday night. The first-place Gaels (16-6, 7-0) face Santa Clara (15-7, 6-1) in Moraga on Wednesday night. Santa Clara handed GU its only WCC loss.
Junior guard Nolan Hickman had another big game with four 3-pointers and a career-high 24 points. Hickman has made at least three 3s in seven of Gonzaga’s last eight games. He added five assists.
Junior forward Graham Ike shook off slow starts in the previous two games by scoring six of GU’s first 10 points. He finished with 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting.
The Zags used a 13-2 spurt – the last three points coming on a Hickman triple after an LMU turnover – to move in front 25-12 midway through the first half.
Gonzaga was scoring at a high clip even without LMU’s generosity.
Gonzaga connected on 66.7% of its shots, 3 of 5 3-pointers and 10 of 12 free throws to take a 45-29 lead at halftime. Twenty-six of Gonzaga’s points were in the paint, thanks to Ike’s 12 points, Watson’s 10 and Hickman’s successful drives into the lane.
Then the Zags really heated up. GU hit 9 of its first 10 shots to open the second half and went on a 23-2 burst that forced LMU to call two timeouts. Hickman hit two 3-pointers, Ben Gregg added another and Ike chipped in three buckets as the Zags’ lead swelled to 68-31.
Gonzaga flirted with the school record for field-goal percentage (71.8% vs. Saint Mary’s) deep into the second half before finishing at 59%.
Former Gonzaga guard Dominick Harris struggled in his return to the Kennel. The 6-foot-3 guard was scoreless in the first half with four turnovers. Two of his first three shots were swatted by former teammates Hickman and Watson.
Harris scored his first points with 13:18 remaining with GU on top 68-31. He finished with 11 points.
Loyola Marymount finished with a season-high 20 turnovers. The Lions entered the game averaging 11.3.
First half
19:50 – GU 0, LMU 0: Lions win the tip, but throw away an unforced turnover and we are underway in the Kennel.
15:54 – GU 10, LMU 7: Solid play in the early going by the Zags to take the lead.
Ike leads with six points. Watson adds two points and has two steals, one of which he took for a fast break and was fouled at the first media timeout.
Merkviladze leads LMU with five points – a 3-pointer and a big dunk in the lane. Four turnovers hurting the Lions early.
12:02 – GU 18, LMU 10: Gonzaga taking full advantage of LMU’s carelessness with the ball. Lions have nine turnovers already and the Zags have 13 points off them.
Watson up to three steals and six points. Ike leads with eight points.
Merkviladze has eight points for LMU. Tough return to Spokane so far for Harris, who has three turnovers.
8:00 – GU 28, LMU 16: Hickman takes over with two 3-pointer, up to a team-high 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting at the U8 media timeout.
Harris called for his fourth turnover. He’s also 0 of 2 from the field.
3:43 – GU 34, LMU 24: Hill hits a 3-pointer to cut the Zags lead to 10 at the U4 media timeout.
Impressive half from the Zags, shooting 63% from the field and are much-improved on free throws (8 of 10). GU outscoring LMU 20-8 in the paint and 16-0 on points off turnovers.
1:12 – GU 43, LMU 29: Gregg hits a pair of free throws as the Zags call a timeout. Hill (12 points) and Merkviladze (11) are the only Lions keeping them in it.
Halftime
Gonzaga turned a slew of Loyola Marymount turnovers into a 45-29 halftime lead at McCarthey Athletic Center.
The Zags scored 16 points off of 13 Lions’ turnovers. Nolan Hickman and Graham Ike lead GU with 12 points apiece, while Anton Watson adds 10 with three steals and a block.
Dominick Harris has struggled in his return to Spokane and is 0 of 3 from the field with four turnovers.
Second half
18:20 – GU 51, LMU 29: Hickman gets a steal and a layup to give the Zags a 6-0 run to open the half and LMU calls a timeout.
Zags threatening to run away with this one as the Lions commit their 14th turnover of the game.
15:23 – GU 64, LMU 31: Hickman hits another two 3-pointers and the Kennel is going crazy as LMU calls another timeout.
Gonzaga on a 19-2 run in the second half and shooting 73% from the field overall, in what is probably their best performance of the season.
Hickman having his best game of the year too, with a team-high 20 points on 8 of 10 shooting (4 of 5 3-pointers). GU looks like a different team on offense when he’s making his shots at a high rate.
11:39 – GU 72, LMU 36: Domination continues, as Hickman sets a career high with 22 points. Ike adds 20 at the U12 media timeout.
7:10 – GU 81, LMU 40: Zags should start rotating players in soon as their lead grows to over 40. Krajnovic checking into the game for the first time since suffering a broken hand.
3:52 – GU 86, LMU 48: Few checking in now for the Zags, who will post one of, if not their most impressive wins of the season.
Pregame
The Gonzaga men’s basketball team hasn’t had much time to rest the last six days. Then again, neither has Loyola Marymount.
The Bulldogs (15-5, 6-1 West Coast) return to McCarthey Athletic Center tonight to host the Lions (10-11, 3-4) at 8 p.m. ESPN will carry the broadcast.
It will be the third game since Thursday for both teams.
The Zags edged San Francisco at home 77-72 and Pacific on the road 82-73, after trailing by one point at halftime in each game.
The Lions thumped Portland 92-65, before taking conference-leading Saint Mary’s to the brink during a 70-65 road loss. It was LMU’s second close loss to SMC this season.
Gonzaga will hope to pull out a win tonight and have a couple extra days of rest ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Saint Mary’s in Spokane. The Zags can’t overlook the Lions though, after LMU snapped GU’s home win streak last season.
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