Gonzaga-Loyola Marymount: 3 keys to the Bulldogs’ victory over the Lions

Offensive MVP

Ryan Woolridge struggled against Pepperdine last Saturday, but he capped his bounce-back weekend with another strong performance. The senior point guard had 13 points of 5-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and five assists, two nights after putting up eight points, six assists and six boards against San Diego. Woolridge’s had a few buckets that stopped LMU miniruns.

Defensive MVP

Killian Tillie didn’t have his best offensive stuff, but he was solid on defense on Eli Scott, who leads LMU in just about every category. Scott managed just seven points in the first half and had three turnovers as Gonzaga built a 16-point lead. Scott heated up in the second half and finished with 20 points, but LMU never got closer than 11.

Key moment

Gonzaga kept threatening to pull away, but LMU was still within 54-42 midway through the second half. The Zags responded with a 13-4 spurt that finally put the game out of reach. Woolridge, Admon Gilder, Corey Kispert and Drew Timme had field goals as Gonzaga built a 21-point lead with 9 minutes left and cruised to the finish line.