Gonzaga-San Francisco: 3 keys to the Bulldogs’ victory over the Dons in the WCC Tournament semifinals

Offensive MVP

Joel Ayayi delivered time after time in the final 4 minutes, scoring eight of his 14 points as Gonzaga held off the Dons. His runner in the lane gave Gonzaga the lead for good, 71-69, and he added six more points down the stretch. Ayayi had 12 of his 14 points in the closing half. He finished 5 of 11 from the field.

Defensive MVP

This wasn’t Gonzaga’s best night defensively. The Dons scored consistently on post-ups inside and with dribble penetration. We’ll give the nod to Corey Kipsert, who had some success on Charles Minlend, who went 0 of 4 from distance, as well on Jordan Ratinho, who finished with just five points.

Key moment

It was tied at 69 when Ayayi went to work. The sophomore guard hit back-to-back baskets to put Gonzaga up by four. He scored eight of GU’s nine points in a 9-2 run that pushed Gonzaga in front 78-72.