Gonzaga-North Dakota: 3 keys to the Bulldogs’ victory over the Fighting Hawks
Offensive MVP
Filip Petrusev did nearly all of his damage within an arm’s length of the hoop, piling up 19 points and 15 rebounds. He made 8 of 14 shots, all from close range, and had several putbacks against UND’s smaller interior players. He also swatted four shots.
Defensive MVP
North Dakota guard Marlon Stewart had a slow start, but he warmed up midway through the first half and torched GU for 15 points, most off hard drives into the lane. Ryan Woolridge had the most success against Stewart, particularly in the second half as Stewart was limited to six points. The Zags’ help defense also closed off Stewart’s driving lanes.
Key moment
The Zags had perhaps their best defensive stretch as they used a 14-1 spurt to double up the Fighting Hawks, 44-22, late in the first half. Drew Timme (six points) and Petrusev (four points) took care of the offense as Gonzaga built a lead that never slipped below 19 points.
