Gonzaga handles Bakersfield, turns its focus to USC Trojans

"It'll be a huge challenge," Mark Few said of the USC Trojans.

SPOKANE - It wasn't the smoothest ride, but the No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs got the job done in an 81-65 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday. Ryan Nembhard scored 22 points to lead five other Bulldogs who scored in double figures.

Now, the Zags (5-1) turn their attention to Saturday's showdown with the USC Trojans in Las Vegas. 

"It'll be a huge challenge," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said of the Trojans. "That's a really, really talented basketball team."

Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga's win over Bakersfield.

LESS THAN IMPRESSIVE ON OFFENSE

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

When looking at the box score, it's hard to indicate where the Bulldogs' offensive woes originated from. They shot 52.6% from the field — the best shooting clip against a Division-I opponent this season. They also went 16-of-20 from the free-throw line and committed a season-low nine turnovers. But it was clear between extended scoring droughts that the offense couldn't find its rhythm at times.

"We just weren't as focused as we need to be," Nembhard said. "We've just got to figure out sometimes what we're doing offensively. We've just got to flow to our next actions and keep the ball moving."

After knocking down 11 of their first 13 shot attempts, the Bulldogs missed their ensuing nine field goal attempts, with the only offense coming via points at the charity stripe. The two-minute drought was negated by Bakersfield's own ineptitude to put the ball in the basket, as the home team hung onto a single-digit lead midway through the first half. A string of baskets extended the lead to double digits, but that wasn't the only time the Bulldogs struggled to put points on the board.

And it wasn't the first time this season the offense has been shaken out of rhythm to the degree it was on Tuesday. Gonzaga had droughts against Purdue and UCLA notably at the Maui Invitational, and while the efforts on defense have been notable, long stretches without a basket won't bode well against tougher competition than the Roadrunners.

DEFENSE BRINGS THE CLAMPS

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

For all of the offensive struggles on Tuesday, Gonzaga continued its impressive run on the defensive end. The Bulldogs are statistically much improved on defense in 2023-24, as they rank 14th in defensive efficiency on KenPom after finishing 73rd in that category last season. The Roadrunners' 292nd-ranked offense isn't up to the standard of previous opponents, but that's not to discredit Gonzaga's efforts.

While holding Bakersfield to less than 1.000 points per possession, the Bulldogs held its opponent to 40.3% shooting from the floor and 31.6% from beyond the arc. Higgins was the only source of offense for the Roadrunners in the first half, and even then he was limited to 3-of-9 from the field. Extended scoring droughts also prevented Bakersfield from making it a closer contest.

Gonzaga smothered pick-and-roll sets with multiple defenders, often double-teaming the ballhandler to force an errant pass. At the worst, it slowed down the Roadrunners from scoring with ease, especially when it came to defending Higgins.

FOCUSED ON USC

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

USC's backcourt tandem of Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier presents the biggest challenge for Few's squad. Ellis, the fifth-year senior and all-Pac-12 player last season, leads the way with 20.2 points per game. The 6-foot-3 guard pairs with five-star freshman Isaiah Collier, who is just behind Ellis with 18.2 points per game while pacing as a playmaker with 4.0 assists per game.

"They're tough guards," Nembhard said of USC's backcourt. "Two guys that really like to score the ball. It'll be probably a good test for us."

USC could add freshman guard Bronny James to the mix on Saturday. James has not been cleared to play after suffering a cardiac arrest in July, but he has participated in pregame warmups the past two games.

"Yes he is with us and he's studying the game," USC coach Andy Enfield told the Associated Press. "He's watching his teammates participate and play and he'll be out there hopefully pretty soon."

The Trojans (4-2) started the season in the AP Top 25 but dropped out of the most recent poll after losses to UC Irvine and No. 25 Oklahoma. Before heading to Las Vegas, they'll have a chance to right the ship against a different Washington school, as they take on Eastern Washington on Wednesday.

Photos: Gonzaga men's basketball beats Cal State Bakersfield