Gonzaga struggles from the field in Maui Invitational loss to Purdue

Bulldogs couldn't knock down an outside shot in the second half in 73-63 loss to Boilermakers

Much like the previous head-to-head meeting, Gonzaga had Purdue beaten out of the starting gate, only to falter in the second half to Zach Edey and company.

In a rematch of last season's Phil Knight Invitational semifinal, No. 11 Gonzaga squandered away a halftime lead to No. 2 Purdue in the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday, as Edey once again found a groove in the second half while the Zags struggled to find the bottom of the basket. This time, the 7-foot-3 post finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, while the Bulldogs shot 37.7% from the field and 6-for-32 from beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs (2-1) led by as many as nine points late in the first half, which included various scoring droughts from Edey Boilermakers (4-0). But as Gonzaga struggled to shoot the ball, Purdue turned up the tempo to outscore the Zags by 15 in the second half.

Gonzaga will have to rebound swiftly from its tough offensive showing, as Syracuse awaits in the consolation bracket.

Here are three takeaways from the game. 

BULLDOGS HAD NO INSIDE PRESENCE 

Obviously, there aren't going to be many easy opportunities to score in the paint with a 7-footer in the way, but given the outside shooting woes, the Bulldogs' lack of aggression going to the rim didn't make it easier on themselves offensively.

Gonzaga attempted 32 3-pointers, the most in a regular season nonconference game since 2017, compared to 37 2-point attempts against Purdue. Instead of trying to draw contact or get Edey into foul trouble, the Bulldogs settled for outside shots that simply didn't drop, even though most were decent looks. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers weren't afraid to go inside and draw contact, as they went 13-for-16 at the free-throw line while the Bulldogs finished 5-for-8 — their fewest free-throw attempts since last season's meeting with Purdue.

Granted, Gonzaga bailed Purdue out with multiple fouls 80 feet away from the basket with cheap reach-ins and swipes following a missed shot. Still, the Bulldogs were shy to face Edey at the rim and create scoring opportunities at the charity stripe. It became even more difficult to slow the Boilermakers with Watson and Ike both in foul trouble.

It was a very unusual offensive attack from the Bulldogs, who were outscored 44-30 in points scored in the paint. Some of that is warranted given the matchup against a rarity like Edey, but at a certain point, it was clear the Boilermakers would control the game with its physicality.

LACK OF DEPTH IS APPARENT

After the season opener against Yale, Mark Few admitted the staff was in scramble mode with Steele Venters out for the season. A blowout win over Eastern Oregon presented plenty of opportunities for reserves to step up and accept the challenge, though Monday's game proved that many of Few's bench pieces aren't ready for the next step just yet.

Just as he did in the home opener, Few deployed a seven-man rotation that saw his starting backcourt play for all but four combined minutes against Purdue. Ryan Nembhard (39 minutes) and Nolan Hickman (36 minutes) didn't leave the floor essentially, while Dusty Stromer (31 minutes) saw a lot of action in just his second official game against a Division-I opponent. The wheels fell off the wagon in the second half for Nembhard and Hickman, and with little help from the bench unit, there wasn't a change of pace or any chance of rest for the starters.

Whether or not attrition played a factor or not, the Boilermakers got the best of Gonzaga's guards as the game progressed. After combining for 14 points on 7-for-14 shooting with two turnovers, Nembhard and Hickman tallied eight points on 4-for-17 shooting with five turnovers, four of which came from Hickman. Both don't want to sit on the bench for any extended time, but sometimes a change of pace is necessary to keep a defense off-balanced.

The Bulldogs had 10 bench points and combined to shoot 3-of-11 from the floor. Few stated before the trip that staying fresh and stamina would be key over the three-day tournament, and for the Zags to stay healthy throughout, the reserves will have to step up to provide a spark and give some guys longer breaks.

STILL TIME TO TURN IT AROUND

A chance at the program's third Maui Invitational championship is out the window, but that doesn't mean the Bulldogs can't leave Hawaii with a pair of quality wins.

With a win against Syracuse (No. 116 in KenPom) on Tuesday, Gonzaga would likely have a shot at either UCLA (No. 35 in KenPom) or No. 4 Marquette in the third/fourth place game on Wednesday. Finishing with a 2-1 record would be a significant boost for the Bulldogs' NCAA Tournament resume, as plenty of high-profile matchups await in December. Of course, that will require a win over an Orange squad that's led by one of the nation's best point guards. 

Heading into the Maui Invitational, 6-foot-3 sophomore Judah Mintz has lived up to the hype as an early contender for the Bob Cousy Award, as he leads Syracuse in scoring at 23.0 points to go along with 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Granted all three of the Orange's wins have come against teams ranked outside the top 140 on KenPom, as Mintz was held to 4-for-14 from the field in Monday's loss to No. 7 Tennessee. Still, the Zags will look to slow down the preseason All-ACC guard as well as 6-foot-7 forward Chris Bell (14.0 points per game in the team's three wins).

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