BYU presents Gonzaga with tough tasks, inside and out

Gonzaga won the first meeting 85-75 in Provo, Utah, behind Nigel Williams-Goss’ 33 points. The Zags gave up 49 second-half points as freshman guard TJ Haws struck for 23 of his team-high 29 points.

The Zags had success rotating Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins on sophomore forward Eric Mika, who finished with 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Mika has 16 double-doubles and ranks first nationally in free-throw attempts and second in makes.

Gonzaga guards will have their hands full with BYU’s backcourt. Nick Emery, who was battling sickness in the first meeting, and Haws are 3-point threats who combine to score 27 points per game. Elijah Bryant has emerged as a scoring option. The sophomore guard torched Portland for 39 points on Thursday, bumping his season average to 11.5.