Gonzaga loses in overtime to West Virginia: 3 takeaways

The Bulldogs squandered a 10-point second half lead to Javon Small and the Mountaineers

Nov 27, 2024; Paradise Island, Bahamas, BHS; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Amani Hansberry (13) reacts in front of Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard (0) during the second half at the Atlantis Resort. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Following two made free throws from Ryan Nembhard, the Gonzaga men’s basketball team took a 5-point lead over West Virginia with less than 30 seconds left in regulation of Wednesday’s Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinal game. It looked as if a back-and-forth affair that had brewed over the final minutes of the second half between the Bulldogs and Mountaineers was about to be resolved with one-stop and more free throws for Mark Few’s team.

Apparently, Tucker DeVries had other plans. The 6-foot-7 senior had kept the game tight throughout with his individual efforts on both ends of the floor, which was never more true than in the final 20 seconds of regulation. Upon knocking down a 3-pointer to make it a 2-point game, Tucker remained active on defense to recover a loose ball after the Zags couldn’t get their possession past half-court, which led to two foul shots for West Virginia’s do-it-all forward. DeVries sunk both shots at the charity stripe to force overtime.

And just like that, the wind had been knocked out of Gonzaga’s sails. The Mountaineers clamped down to hold the No. 1 offense in the country to just 2-of-10 from the field in overtime. Javon Small kept the wheels churning just enough on offense to lead West Virginia past the No. 3 Zags, 86-78, and advance to the semifinal round to play Louisville.

Small scored a game-high 31 points on 9-of-18 from the field, while DeVries did a little bit of everything: 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals in 42 minutes of action. Amani Hansberry finished with 19 points and eight rebounds for West Virginia (4-1), which went on a 17-2 scoring run in the second half after the Bulldogs took a 43-33 lead with 18:35 left in regulation.

Braden Huff led Gonzaga (5-1) with 19 points, 14 of which came after halftime, including six consecutive points to end regulation. Khalif Battle had 16 points on 6-of-12 from the field. Nembhard dished out 12 assists and recorded four steals but went 1-of-10 from the field with seven points.

Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga’s first loss of the season.

BULLDOGS CAN’T FINISH THE JOB

Few warned about the pressure and athleticism West Virginia possessed in his press conference prior to Wednesday’s matchup. The Mountaineers were certainly opportunistic on the defensive end of the floor with their size and length, but even then, the Bulldogs received enough firepower from Battle early on to jump out in front for the last 10 minutes of the first half. The 6-foot-5 grad transfer had 14 points, including an 8-0 personal run, to make it a 9-point game with less than two minutes before halftime.

Despite leading comfortably, Gonzaga had struggled to establish its presence on the interior until it was too late. To West Virginia’s credit, the Bulldogs went 19-of-44 (season-low 43.2%) from inside the arc and were kept to just nine fastbreak points, tying their season-low from last week’s win over Long Beach State.  

Still, the Bulldogs went ahead by double-digits less than two minutes into the second half, as Ike scored down low to give his team its largest lead of the afternoon. The Mountaineers however were poised on the defensive end of the floor throughout. A few misses around the rim from the Zags provided just enough spark for DeVries and company to mount a comeback.

With Small leading the way, West Virginia put together a 17-2 scoring run to flip the game on its head midway through the second half. The Zags looked out of sorts on both ends, as Small had them constantly shifting and recovering on defense with his ability to penetrate and find open teammates on the perimeter. West Virginia went 14-of-28 from the field in the second half after going 9-of-30 in the first half.

Huff scored three consecutive buckets in the post to help the Bulldogs regain the lead in the final minute. Nembhard stepped up at the free throw line when asked, but ultimately the numerous scoring droughts and stretches without a field goal in the second half came back to bite Gonzaga in its rear at the last moment possible.

FOUL CALLS LATE IN REGULATION PLAY A FACTOR

It’s true the Zags had opportunities to put the Mountaineers away without going to an extra period, but at the same time, there were certain foul calls in the second half that played a role in their collapse down the stretch.

Perhaps the most questionable whistle came with just under three minutes left in regulation, when DeVries was awarded three free throws after extending his shooting form in egregious fashion to draw a shooting foul on Battle, who had a look of confusion, frustration and disbelief upon hearing the call. DeVries went 2-for-3 to put West Virginia back out in front.

Later in overtime, Nembhard was whistled for a loose ball foul while the Bulldogs trailed 79-75 with just over a minute remaining. The senior guard didn’t appear to interfere too much with West Virginia’s Sencire Harris on the rebound attempt, though the officials thought otherwise as the Mountaineers sunk both foul shots to make it a 6-point game.

UP NEXT: INDIANA

Few and company have about a 24-hour turnaround before they have to tangle with No. 14 Indiana (4-1) in the semifinal round at 2:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. PST) tomorrow. 

The Hoosiers look to bounce back from an 89-61 loss to the Cardinals in the quarterfinal round. Malik Reneau led Indiana with 21 points while former Zag Oumar Ballo recorded 11 points and six rebounds.

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• Gonzaga lands Virginia transfer Jalen Warley

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said ahead of Battle 4 Atlantis tournament

• Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard rises to the challenge his senior year: 'It was time for a big jump'

• Gonzaga bigs Graham Ike and Braden Huff are wearing out defenses: 'You're not getting a break'

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