Recap and highlights: Gonzaga pulls away late for 91-74 road win over Loyola Marymount
LOS ANGELES – It took the better part of 32 minutes, but Gonzaga finally shook off a feisty Loyola Marymount squad that suited up just six scholarship players due to numerous injuries.
Clinging to a one-point lead, Gonzaga rattled off 15 unanswered points and closed with a 19-3 run to pull away for a 91-74 West Coast Conference victory Thursday at Gersten Pavilion.
The Lions, who gave Gonzaga’s defense fits for most of the games, went scoreless for 6 minutes and 26 seconds in the decisive stretch that saw the Zags extend a 72-71 lead to 87-71 advantage with 2:06 remaining.
Graham Ike had 16 of his 23 points in the second half and Nolan Hickman added 22 points and four 3-pointers. Ryan Nembhard finished with 17 points and 11 assists. Ben Gregg 15 points and seven rebounds and Anton Watson added a double-double with 13 points, 11 boards.
Junior guard Will Johnston connected on seven 3-pointers and scored 33 points – his season high was 27 – to lead the Lions.
The Zags (19-6, 9-2 WCC) have won three straight games. They entertain Pacific on Saturday. LMU dropped to 10-15, 3-8.
The Zags were torched for 22 points in the first half by Johnston, who missed all five of his shot attempts and was scoreless in Spokane two weeks ago.
Gonzaga led most of the first half, stretching it to nine, 31-22, after a Hickman 3-pointer, but the Zags promptly gave up six quick points. The Lions moved ahead 44-43 on a Justin Wright 3-pointer – one of eight first-half triples.
Gonzaga took a 47-44 edge on putback baskets by Ike and Gregg but Johnston drained a mid-range jumper just before the buzzer to cut GU’s lead to 47-46 at half.
Neither team came up with many defensive stops in the opening half. LMU hit 58% from the field while the Zags were at 51.6%.
First half
19:27 – GU 3, LMU 0: Zags win the tip and quickly get on the board with a 3-pointer from Gregg.
15:41 – GU 12, LMU 11: Lions keeping pace through the early going, but have three team fouls at the first media timeout.
Gregg leads GU with six points, as the Zags start 3 of 4 on 3-pointers. LMU opens 5 of 7 from the field.
12:04 – GU 21, LMU 17: Nembhard finds Watson in the corner for a 3-pointer with a behind-the-back pass after an offensive rebound. Zags regain the lead after the Lions briefly jumped in front.
7:58 – GU 31, LMU 24: Johnson hits a jumper to reach 10 points at the U8 media timeout. Hill adds eight for LMU, though he was hit with a technical foul for taunting after making a 3-pointer.
Hickman leads GU with 10 points, while Watson adds seven.
3:24: GU 41, LMU 36: Gonzaga has been excellent on 3-pointers to stay ahead of the Lions, 8 of 13 going into the U4 media timeout.
The Zags needed it with Johnston hot for LMU. The junior guard has 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting.
Gonzaga kicking out of LMU’s zone defense to find open looks.
1:26 – LMU 44, GU 43: Johnston stays hot, up to 20 points and Wright hits a 3-pointer after a steal to give the Lions the lead. Gonzaga takes a timeout with LMU on a 8-0 run.
Halftime
Will Johnston scored a jump shot at the buzzer to give himself 22 points in the half, as Loyola Marymount trails visiting Gonzaga 47-46.
The Lions briefly took the lead, before tough baskets inside 2 minutes from Graham Ike and Ben Gregg.
The first half was about LMU, though. Johnston, one of six scholarship players suited up tonight, made 9 of 15 attempts from the field.
Gonzaga kept pace with excellent 3-point shooting (8 of 14), but will need to make some defensive adjustments to slow the Lions standout guard.
Second half
16:40 – GU 56, LMU 50: Zags on a 7-0 run after Hickman hits a 3-pointer.
Hickman leads with 15 points, while Ike, Watson and Gregg add 11 apiece. Nembhard has eight as all five GU starters close in on double figures.
15:05 – GU 60, LMU 50: Zags lock down on defense and force a steal and a couple of shot clock violations to build a 10-point lead.
GU on an 11-0 run over the last three minutes.
11:35 – GU 66, LMU 61: Hill passes behind his head to Thiemann for a big dunk on Stromer. Zags call a timeout with the Lions on a 7-0 run. Johnston up to 27 points for LMU.
7:07 – GU 74, LMU 71: Watson gets blocks on consecutive possessions and is fouled going to the hoop. Zags clinging to the lead thanks to a Nembhard layup.
Johnston up to a career-high 33 points for the Lions. He’s 12 of 20 from the field and 7 of 11 on 3-pointers.
4:54 – GU 83, LMU 71: Gregg caps an 11-0 run with a layup and the Lions call a timeout. Big stretch for the Zags to potentially pull away.
All five GU starters in double figures: Ike 21 points, Hickman 20, Gregg 15, Watson 13 and Nembhard 12 with nine assists.
3:34 – GU 83, LMU 71: Watson is fouled after grabbing a rebound at the U4 media timeout. Lions still have a couple fouls to give.
2:09 – GU 85, LMU 71: Ike is fouled, Zags now one away from the bonus. Looking like GU will pull this one out, but the Lions gave them a fight most the way.
Starting 5: Same starters for Gonzaga of Nembhard, Hickman, Gregg, Watson and Ike. Lions go with Hill, Johnston, Merkiladze, Thiemann and Graham. LMU will have just one scholarship player available on the bench.
Pregame
Gonzaga is set up for an ideal return to conference play.
After earning a key nonconference win over Kentucky on Saturday, the Bulldogs are back on the road for a West Coast Conference game at Loyola Marymount, who they already beat by 30 points.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on CBS Sports.
The situation is even worse this time for the Lions (10-14, 3-7 WCC), who are down to six scholarship players, including leading scorer Dominick Harris.
The Bulldogs (11-2, 8-2) are 15½-point favorites. After tonight, GU will go back to the Kennel to play last-place Pacific on Saturday.
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