Gonzaga routs Portland behind strong defense, hot 3-point shooting: Takeaways

The Zags dominated the Pilots on both ends of the floor with the state's best high school player in attendance

It was a warm welcome home for No. 8 Gonzaga, as Malachi Smith led the way with a season-high 27 points to help take down Moses Wood and Portland in a 115-75 blowout on Saturday night.

Six other players scored in double-figures for the Zags (16-3, 5-0), who led by as many as 46 points en route to their 11th straight win on the season.

The Pilots (9-11, 1-4 WCC) have dropped six of their last seven games as Woods’ 18 points weren’t enough to overcome a slow start offensively.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s game:

DEFEND THE KENNEL

Though the Zags have struggled defensively at times this season, Saturday’s performance was arguably one of the best the team has looked at that of the end against comparable competition.

The energy was there from the opening tip, as Gonzaga jumped out to a double-digit lead following a 2-for-11 start shooting from the Pilots, including three turnovers.

Anton Watson forced back-to-back turnovers that led to baskets on the other end, extending the lead to 15 as Portland had no answer on offense.

Moments later, Rasir Bolton intercepted a bad pass from Jack Perry before finishing on the other end with a one-hand slam.

Get up @rasir_45 ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/ZAKZdmHdC0

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) January 15, 2023

In total, the Zags scored 37 points off 19 turnovers while holding Portland to just 41.5% shooting from the field. That’s well below the status quo for a Shantay Legans squad that averages 75.8 points per game.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

The last meeting between these two in Spokane saw the Zags set a program record with 18 3-pointers, the most in the history of the McCarthey Athletic Center.

On Saturday, there were times it appeared that benchmark would be reset again against the same Pilots squad.

While Portland’s offense struggled, the Zags couldn’t seem to miss from beyond the arc. A mix of stellar ball movement and razzle-dazzle led to 17 3-pointers from the home team.

Malachi Smith, a 50% shooter from deep entering the game, caught fire as he knocked down a season-high seven 3-pointers. His back-to-back triples early in the first half helped Gonzaga build a sizable advantage, but no shot was more important to fans than the one he hit just five minutes into the second half that earned everyone a Taco Bell coupon.

🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮@maliworld11 pic.twitter.com/covEa54IsB

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) January 15, 2023

Four other Zags finished the night with at least two 3-pointers.

ZOOM IN THE HOUSE

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

It was a good night to have the best high school player in the state in town.

Zoom Diallo, a 6-foot-4 guard out of Curtis High School and the No. 1 ranked prospect in Washington, was in attendance on an official visit for Gonzaga’s dominant showing.

The Zags are among the five-star prospect’s final six choices, which he announced earlier this week. The list also includes Florida State, Kansas, Arizona, USC and Washington.

"I felt like I needed to close down on my schools," Diallo said to SBLive Sports. "It was just right for me to release them because I'm starting to get closer to making a decision."

Diallo took an unofficial visit in September and has taken official visits to Arizona and Florida State as well.

The addition would be huge for a Gonzaga team that could use depth at the guard position with the impending departure of Bolton, as well as the uncertainty of Nolan Hickman as he eyes the NBA in the near future.