Gonzaga-Denver: 3 keys to the Bulldogs’ 101-40 victory over the Pioneers

Key moment

An argument could be made that the key moment was when Brandon Clarke won the opening tip as the Bulldogs jumped out to leads of 18-0 and 31-2. Gonzaga didn’t look back, eventually setting a program record for field-goal shooting in a half at 84.6 percent. The Zags also broke a program record for margin of victory with their 101-40 win.

Offensive MVP

Denver had trouble stopping the Zags and specifically Rui Hachimura, who was nearly flawless. He did his damage in the first half, sitting most of the second, but he finished 9 for 9 from the field, made his only attempt from beyond the arc and was 4 for 5 from the free-throw line.

Defensive MVP

Clarke pinned a layup attempt against the backboard late in the first half for his second block of the game, finishing with three. The 6-foot-8 big man helped hold Denver to 20 points in the paint. He led the team with seven rebounds and added a steal.