No. 16 Alabama Stuns No. 3 Gonzaga With Offensive Explosion

Mark Few's Bulldogs suffered their second loss of 2021-22 after an offensive explosion by Nate Oats' team.

SEATTLE (AP) — Jaden Shackelford scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half, Jahvon Quinerly and JD Davison both hit key three-pointers, and No. 16 Alabama held off Gonzaga’s big second-half rally for a 91–82 win over the third-ranked Bulldogs on Saturday night.

The Crimson Tide (7–1) made 10 of their 13 three-pointers in the first half, led by Shackelford’s sharp shooting from deep. Alabama led by 16 at halftime and withstood every charge the Bulldogs made in the second half to hand Gonzaga its second loss in three games.

Gonzaga trailed by as many as 18 at the beginning of the second half, but pulled within 76–72. The Bulldogs missed several chance to cut the deficit, and Davison and Quinerly hit consecutive three-pointers to give the Crimson Tide a big cushion.

Shackelford made 10 of 16 shots and all six of his three-pointers came in the first half. Davison finished with 20 points off the bench and Quinerly added 17.

Drew Timme led Gonzaga (7–2) with 23 points, but it was another sputtering offensive performance for the Zags, who lost to Duke last week in Las Vegas and looked lethargic in a win over Tarleton State earlier this week.

Julian Strawther had 13 points, and Anton Watson and Chet Holmgren 10 each for Gonzaga, but the Bulldogs didn’t hit perimeter shots at key times and struggled badly at the free-throw line.

Alabama led 53–35 in the opening seconds of the second half, Gonzaga pulled within 74–70 and 76–72 on Watson’s rebound basket with 5:27 left, the closest the Bulldogs had been since late in the first half.

Gonzaga was empty on its next three possessions and Davison’s three-pointer pushed the Alabama lead back to seven with 3:33 left. Quinerly added a three the next time down for Alabama and the lead was 10.

The Crimson Tide had missed five straight three-point attempts before Davison’s make.

Welcome Back

It was the return of Gonzaga playing one game per season in Seattle. The event had lost its luster and some of its marquee opponents from when the game first started in the early 2000s. The last game was in 2015, a 86–79 win over Tennessee.There was also the lack of a place to play in recent years while Climate Pledge Arena was undergoing its transformation. But the operators of the arena made a big push for Gonzaga to be the first marquee basketball game played in the building—aside from some Seattle University home games.

There was also the lack of a place to play in recent years while Climate Pledge Arena was undergoing its transformation. But the operators of the arena made a big push for Gonzaga to be the first marquee basketball game played in the building—aside from some Seattle University home games.

Big Picture

Alabama: Shackelford was nearly perfect in the first half, making 7 of 8 shots and six three-pointers. His step-back three at the halftime buzzer gave Alabama a 51–35 lead at the break. Shackelford had not made more than five threes in a game yet this season. More than half of Alabama’s first-half field goals came from behind the three-point line with 10 threes and just eight field goals inside the arc.

Gonzaga: The Zags were terrible at the free-throw line, finishing 13 of 25 and missing the front end of one-and-one situations several times. Entering the game, the Bulldogs were 71.2% from the line.

Up Next

Alabama: Hosts No. 15 Houston on Saturday.

Gonzaga: Hosts Merrimack on Thursday.