Gonzaga beats Grand Canyon, advances to 2nd round of NCAA Tournament behind Julian Strawther's 28 points

After a back-and-forth first half, Gonzaga pulled away from the Lopes for its 14th-straight first-round victory

Cole Forsman | Mar 17, 2023

Gonzaga beats Grand Canyon, advances to 2nd round of NCAA Tournament behind Julian Strawther's 28 points /

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Julian Strawther's 28 points and 10 rebounds paced the 3-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs past the 14-seeded Grand Canyon Antelopes, 82-70, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.

All-American Drew Timme poured in 21 points, six rebounds and three blocks, while Anton Watson added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Zags, who shot 53.6% from the floor and outrebounded Grand Canyon 39-26.

PHOTOS I NCAA TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS

For GCU, Rayshon Harrison dropped 20 points as the Lopes shot 43% from the floor.

Chance McMillan added 16 points, four rebounds and four assists and Gabe McGlothan poured in 11 points.

Gonzaga jumped out to a 10-0 lead as the Antelopes' offense sputtered out of the gate. Anton Watson got going early with five of his 11 first-half points while GCU's offense committed four turnovers in the first three minutes of action.

The Lopes flipped the script, though, as a 12-0 run sparked a back-and-forth affair throughout the remainder of the half.

GCU jumped out to a six-point lead midway through the half behind its methodical, slow-paced offense that's ranked 291st in KenPom's adjusted tempo.

Gonzaga adjusted to the pace as Julian Strawther helped the Zags dig out of the hole at the free-throw line, going 5-for-6 and finishing with a team-high 16 points.

After seven lead changes over the final four minutes of the half, Gonzaga came away with a 40-36 advantage.

The Zags came out of the break hot, jumping out to a 52-42 lead following a 12-4 run. Bolton sparked the spurt with his first 3-pointer of the night.

Gonzaga continued to roll on both ends of the floor. With the Lopes held scoreless for the last five minutes, Rayshon Harrison looked to end the drought but Ben Gregg had other ideas, swatting away Harrison's dunk attempt. Strawther recovered the loose ball, pulled up and knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing to make it 57-42 with 13:51 left in the half.

Strawther knocked down three of Gonzaga's seven 3-pointer.

Watson followed with a transition 3-pointer on the ensuing possession as the Zags led 64-42 after a 16-0 run.

Gonzaga outscored GCU 42-34 in the second half, led by 15 points from Timme.

Gonzaga will take on either the 6-seeded TCU Horned Frogs or the 11-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

PHOTO GALLERY: GONZAGA 82, GRAND CANYON 70