Recap and highlights: No. 13 Gonzaga dominates Loyola Marmount from opening tip, cruise to 108-65 win
LOS ANGELES – Loyola Marymount stunned Gonzaga on its home court. The Bulldogs crushed the Lions on theirs.
Gonzaga rode a dominant first half to a 108-65 wire-to-wire win over LMU at the Gersten Pavilion, avenging the Lions’ Jan. 19 victory in Spokane that snapped the country’s longest home win streak.
The 13th-ranked Bulldogs (21-5, 10-2 West Coast) made 14 of their first 16 attempts from the field, opening a 20-point run in the first seven minutes.
The Zags were just getting started.
Gonzaga shot 71% from the field, 78% on 3-pointers and made all seven free throw attempts in the first half to build a 40-point lead at halftime.
By the end, the Zags coasted to their seventh 100-point game this season, tying a school record set in the 2018-19 season.
Julian Strawther picked up where he left off from Saturday’s win over Brigham Young. After scoring nine points in the final four minutes against the Cougars, Strawther scored 14 in the first eight minutes against the Lions.
He finished with a team-high 28 points, shooting 10-for-15 from the field and 6-for-8 on 3-pointers.
Strawther led six Zags in double figures, as Anton Watson (16 points), Drew Timme (13), Malachi Smith (13), Rasir Bolton (12) and Nolan Hickman (11) bolstered the rout.
The Lions (17-11, 7-7) had no chance of keeping pace with the Zags hot start, missing their first six 3-point attempts and opening 2 of 9 from the field.
The Bulldogs remain one game behind Saint Mary’s in the WCC standings.
The Gaels escaped San Diego with a 62-59 win earlier in the night, after being held scoreless for the final seven minutes.
Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s have two games remaining before a they meet in Spokane on Feb. 25 for a game that could decide the regular season conference champion.
The Zags continue their road trip at Pepperdine on Saturday.
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First half
18:57 – GU 3, LMU 0: Zags force a shot clock violation on the first LMU possession and Strawther makes a 3-pointer on the other end.
16:11 – GU 15, LMU 4: Dominant start for the Zags, which are on a 10-0 run as the Lions call for a timeout. Strawther leads with seven points. GU is 7 of 8 from the field.
11:45 – GU 32, LMU 10: Zags run extends to 20 points, before the Lions score. Strawther leads with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field.
7:39 – GU 45, LMU 16: As impressive as Gonzaga has looked this season, making 75% of their shots and 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. Lions don’t have an answer at the U8 media timeout.
3:57 – GU 54, LMU 20: Strawther makes a deep 3-pointer to bring his total to 17 points. He leads three Bulldogs in double figures. Watson has 11 and Bolton adds 10.
Halftime
A crushing half by the Bulldogs is punctuated by a Smith breakaway dunk to give Gonzaga a 68-28 lead.
Strawther leads with 22 points, Watson adds 14 and Bolton had 12. Timme has two points and only played eight minutes in the half.
Gonzaga shot 71% from the field in the half and are on pace for their highest scoring total of the season.
Second half
15:57 – GU 77, LMU 38: Timme makes a layup through contact and will have a free throw attempt when play resumes. Lions have a 10-9 advantage early in the half.
11:49 – GU 91, LMU 44: The baskets keep falling for GU. Season’s highest scoring total is 115 against Portland and they’re on pace to pass that.
8:55 – GU 93, LMU 48: Few calls for a timeout. Game has pretty much turned into shooting practice at this point, with Gonzaga fully in control.
3:43 – GU 102, LMU 56: Scoring slows down for GU, but the Zags hit the 100-point mark for the 7th time this season, tying a school record.
Pregame
LOS ANGELES – Loyola Marymount won’t be catching Gonzaga by surprise the second time around.
The Lions are the first team in WCC history to beat the Bulldogs, Saint Mary’s and Brigham Young in the same season. An impressive feat that saw LMU snap GU’s record home winning streak on Jan. 19 and stun the Gales in overtime last Thursday.
No. 13 Gonzaga will be out for payback tonight in the Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on CBS Sports.
The Lions (17-10, 7-6 WCC) have been able to rise against the conference’s best teams, but haven’t played at that level consistently. They lost to Santa Clara last Saturday 71-69, dropping three out of their last four games.
The Bulldogs (21-5, 10-2) beat San Francisco and Brigham Young last week, regrouping from an overtime loss to Saint Mary’s on Feb. 4. They remain one game behind the Gaels in the WCC standings with three games left before the two teams play in Spokane, potentially for the league title.
Series history
Gonzaga holds a 76-24 all-time series lead over Loyola Marymount. The Lions’ win on Jan. 19 snapped a 25-game win streak by the Zags, dating back to Feb. 18, 2010.
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