Gonzaga's Mark Few: 'It took everything we had' to beat Yale in 2023-24 season opener

The Zags overcame early adversity to defeat Yale, 86-71, in home opener

The Gonzaga men's basketball team passed their first test of the young 2023-24 season with a resounding win over the Yale Bulldogs on Friday night.

The Ivy League contenders came out swinging from the opening tip, as James Jones' squad jumped out to a double-digit lead not even five minutes into the ballgame. Mark Few and Gonzaga swiftly countered in a back-and-forth first half that saw eight lead changes. After leading by five at the break, the Zags pulled away in the second half, leading by 22 points en route to the 86-71 victory.

From Braden Huff's spark off the bench to the efficient night from the starting backcourt, here are three takeaways from Gonzaga's win over Yale to start the season.

BRADEN HUFF PROVIDES SPARK OFF THE BENCH

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

The Zags took one to the chin early on from the much more experienced Bulldogs, as careless turnovers and frustrating misses inside the paint dug Few's squad into a hole. After a pair of free throws from Matt Knowling made it 16-6 in favor of Yale, Few took full advantage of the game's first media timeout to regroup his guys.

"I think our guys were totally shocked to the system, just how hard they played and how tough they were," Few said. "They were really taking the game to us by that first media timeout, but our guys did a nice job of adjusting and we settled down."

Few made an early substitution when he put redshirt freshman Braden Huff in for Graham Ike, a change that flipped the script for Gonzaga for the rest of the night. Huff helped spark a 10-0 run immediately with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, which would be the first of two timely triples from the 6-foot-10 forward. As the Zags battled back and forth, Huff helped seize momentum with another 3-pointer from the same spot as before to give Gonzaga a 36-33 lead with less than four minutes left in the half. Gonzaga never relinquished control from thereafter.

Huff finished with a game-high 19 points on an efficient 7-for-10 from the field, including nine rebounds. Whether it was trailing in transition or finding space in the paint, he was adept at being in the right place at the right time, a skill that's rare to find from someone in their first collegiate game.

"I think that redshirt year last year really, really helped him," Few said. "He's got a lot to his game. He can score on the post, he can stretch out a little bit and then tonight he rebounded which was a big step."

ZAGS GET FULL GAME FROM STARTING BACKCOURT

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Questions surrounding Gonzaga's backcourt depth already lingered before it was confirmed that Steele Venters will miss the season with a torn ACL. Not having the services of a three-year veteran who is an exceptional shooter from deep is something Few and the staff are still trying to adjust for, and on Friday, that meant playing his starting guards for almost 40 minutes apiece. In Few's defense, however, Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman wouldn't have it any other way.

"I would just rather be on the court than sit on the bench," Nembhard said after sitting for just three seconds all game.

Nembhard had full control of the offense throughout, from setting up his teammates on pick-and-rolls to putting his head down and getting to the basket on his own. Nembhard noted his coach pushed for him to be more aggressive, especially if it results in just a single turnover. Nembhard finished with 16 points and seven assists, an impressive line considering he was matched up with Ivy League defensive player of the year Bez Mbeng for the majority of the night.

Hickman was arguably the most aggressive he's been in his Gonzaga career, as he finished with 15 points and three assists with one turnover. He connected on just one 3-pointer in eight tries, but his confidence never wavered.

As a duo, Nembhard's playmaking combined with Hickman's assertiveness as a scorer was perfect matchmaking. It never appeared one stepped on the other's toes at any point on Friday, but rather, they fed off each other's style of play to deliver perfect strikes against Yale. A fitting partnership that was forged by Hickman's desire to play with the Creighton transfer over the offseason.

"I felt like I needed him," Hickman said. "I was hyped. Me and coach Few were on the same page and there wasn't bad feelings."

Despite the apparent chemistry the two share, playing 40 minutes a night isn't sustainable over the course of a season. Few and the coaching staff will need to bring along Jun Seok Yeo and Luka Krajnovic to lift the weight off his starter's shoulders. The Zags should have an easy game on Tuesday against Eastern Oregon before the daunting field that awaits at the Maui Invitational, leaving little time to work in the rest of the first-year players.

DOING THE DIRTY WORK PAYS OFF

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Once the Zags gained an edge in the hustle battle, it became difficult for Yale to create any opportunities for itself down the stretch. Both teams crashed the glass hard on each end of the floor early in the first half, creating a "who wants it more" war between the bigs down low. Gonzaga's slight advantage on the boards to start became a turning point in the second half to create more fastbreak opportunities and take away Yale's chances.

The Zags outrebounded the Bulldogs overall, 42-28, including a 14-7 advantage on the offensive glass. Those extra chances led to 20 second-chance points for Gonzaga compared to eight from Yale. The battle in the paint also favored the home team, as the Zags finished with a 44-20 advantage in that department.

Defensively, Gonzaga battened down the hatches in the second half. Yale was held to 35.5% shooting from the floor, down from its 46.4% showing in the first half, and shot just two free throws over the final 20 minutes of action. Held to multiple scoring droughts that spanned minutes at a time, Yale lost all the rhythm it built up from the first 15 minutes.

"We did a nice job on the glass and then actually had a really, really, really good second half of defense," Few said. "Second half defense, that made the difference."

Photos: Gonzaga men's basketball wears Nike N7 uniforms in 2023-24 season opener