Gonzaga-Arizona: 3 keys to the Bulldogs’ 84-80 victory over the Wildcats

Offensive MVP

Corey Kispert was a steady hand throughout. He scored seven points as the Zags made up ground later in the first half and took a one-point lead at the break. He hit a big 3-pointer after Arizona cut Gonzaga’s lead to 54-49 in the second half. The junior wing finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and one assist.

Defensive MVP

Arizona’s Nico Mannion had a miserable night. Ryan Woolridge hounded the standout freshman guard from the opening tip. Mannion couldn’t get anything going, hitting 1 of 10 3-pointers and missing several floaters or shots at the rim when he tried to penetrate. Mannion contributed 10 assists, several during Arizona’s late comeback, but he committed three turnovers and was just 3 of 20 from the field. He scored seven points (eight below his average).

Key moments

The Zags started to take control early in the second half after a 12-0 spurt gave them a 54-45 advantage. They followed that up a few minutes later with a 15-6 run that bumped Gonzaga’s lead to 69-55. Kispert, Killian Tillie and Admon Gilder connected on 3-pointers in the second run.