Gonzaga locks in for blowout victory over UMass-Lowell: 3 takeaways

Proactive defense, a 32-2 scoring run in the second half and high-level execution on offense fueled the Bulldogs to a 59-point win at home

Gonzaga senior guard Khalif Battle. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

A nonconference matchup against an America East team, sandwiched in between back-to-back Big 12 tilts and a rematch against San Diego State, can sometimes be overlooked by more than just the fans.

Mark Few and Gonzaga knew what they had on their hands when UMass-Lowell rolled into Spokane, however. The River Hawks have NCAA Tournament aspirations after they brought back key pieces from last season’s team that finished second in the league (22-10, 10-5 America East), in addition to bringing in more experienced players via the transfer portal. 

“[UMass-Lowell] had our full attention,” Few said after Gonzaga’s 113-54 win over UMass-Lowell on Friday night. “I think these guys are going to have a good season. I think they're primed to challenge Vermont. And as I told the players, this is like a team we would see in the first round of the NCAAs if we get seeded where we want to be seeded. So you got to respect that.”

The Zags (3-0) gave the River Hawks (2-1) the respect they deserved going in, and as such remained locked in for the entire 40-minute affair. After leading by 22 points at halftime, Gonzaga blew the game wide open with a 32-2 scoring run over a 10-minute stretch in the second half to go ahead by as many as 62 points. 

Here are three takeaways from the victory.

ANOTHER ELECTRIC NIGHT FROM KHALIF BATTLE

Gonzaga senior guard Khalif Battle. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

The sixth-year guard certainly hasn’t wasted any time introducing himself to the Spokane community. After his 19-point second-half performance against the Sun Devils, Battle led the way once again, this time with 21 points and another emphatic windmill dunk in transition.

"When he gets going like that he can be electric,” Few said of Battle. “He's certainly had moments during his career, especially last year at Arkansas, where he did that. We know what he's capable of when he gets on one of those rolls like that.”

Battle has been on quite the roll then to start the season. He leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game on 15-of-28 (53.6%) from the field and 11-of-18 (61.1%) from 3-point range through three games. That’s quite the level of production on extremely high efficiency out of the gate; Battle ranks top 50 in the country in true shooting percentage after Friday.

“I just play within the offense,” Battle said. “I'm nothing without these guys, my brothers. I give them all the credit for finding me and talking to me on defense so I can be in the right spots and rebounding and telling me where to go on the plays and all that. So I can't take no credit for that. It's all my brothers.”

PROACTIVE DEFENSE LEADS CHARGE

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Intensity on defense has been a focal point for the Zags since their first exhibition game. The term “guard your yard” has been used to describe how the players need to take pride in their respective one-on-one matchups, especially with how they let the Sun Devils score multiple times in the second half of isolation plays. 

Gonzaga imposed its will on the defensive end of the floor this time around, forcing the River Hawks into 25 turnovers, 14 of which came in the first half (which was more than their 10 made field goals at the break).

“We were just more proactive,” Few said of his team’s defensive effort. “I thought, especially against Arizona State, we were just a little bit reactive, letting them kind of do what they were going to do and then we react to them. Tonight we were dictating their offense.”

UP NEXT: SAN DIEGO STATE

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

No doubt the Bulldogs face a steeper hill on Monday when they face a hard-nosed San Diego State squad at the imposing Viejas Arena in the return game of a home-and-home series. Last season the Aztecs came out with an 84-74 win over the Zags in a rare loss at The Kennel for Few and company. Now they’ll look to return the favor and steal a victory from enemy territory.

“Just a bunch of tough, athletic dudes that kind of get you in a rock fight the way they play defense,” Few said of the Aztecs. “They're going to absolutely pound the glass. They're going to be in those gaps, breaking us and making it hard. They're going to be really, really physical.”

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after win vs. UMass-Lowell

• Virginia transfer Jalen Warley on Gonzaga visit: ‘I’m really liking it’

• San Diego State injury report: Key player might miss Gonzaga game
  

• Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard finds Michael Ajayi for two-hand dunk
  

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