Photo Gallery: Gonzaga Beats Saint Mary's 74-58

Check out a full gallery of photos from Gonzaga Nation photographer Erik Smith

Gonzaga students embraced the clear, cold Friday night as they huddled together to stay warm in their tents. Normally a place for students to toss a frisbee or thrown down a game of spikeball, Herak Lawn had been transformed into “Tent City”, a Kennel Club tradition brought out for marquee home basketball games. Upon securing a spot in line the day before, students bundle up in parkas and gloves, pack their sleeping bags and blankets, and hunker down for the night before gameday.

Some might see it as unnecessary while others applaud those who endure the elements to show their school spirit. As tradition goes, students are treated to pizza courtesy of the men’s basketball team as players go tent-to-tent dishing up slices of cheese and pepperoni goodness to their loyal supporters.

After serving up dinner the night prior, a 74-58 victory over No. 22 Saint Mary’s was the dessert fans had been craving for the last 48 restless hours.

Drew Timme led the way with 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the No. 2 Bulldogs (21-2, 10-0 WCC), who picked up their 14th straight win of the season.

“That was a really good basketball team we beat tonight,” Mark Few said. “Randy [Bennett] has done just a wonderful job with this team. They are tough, hard-nosed, and hard to score on.”

Here’s how the Zags got the job done against the Gaels:

SURVING THE ROCK FIGHT

If there’s one team in the WCC that isn’t afraid to get down and dirty, its Randy Bennett’s Gaels. Gonzaga has made a living off overwhelming its opponents in the first few minutes all season long, but that wasn’t going to work on Saturday night despite the amped home crowd, as Saint Mary’s mucked up the game early. A combined 0-for-7 start from the floor had the 6,000 fans in attendance itching for some kind of offense.

Mattias Taas and Timme finally broke the seal off the rim for their respective teams, ending the nearly three-minute drought to start. Nembhard gave the Zags their first lead with a reverse layup after Holmgren blocked Alex Ducas the possession prior, but the Gaels defense succeeded in their attempt to slow the pace. Both teams combined to shoot 3-for-13 through four minutes of action.

Despite multiple stops of their own, the Bulldogs struggled to capitalize against the Gaels’ superb transition defense. Instead of fighting for second-chance opportunities, Randy Bennett’s starting five opted to fall back to keep the Zags in front of them on defense.

Holmgren soared down the lane to finish off an alley-oop pass from Nembhard off the pick-and-roll, momentarily bringing life to The Kennel. Saint Mary’s never wavered amid the ruckus crowd however, as they answered with six straight points to take a 12-11 advantage. Gonzaga responded with a 9-2 run of its own, capped off by a rare Timme 3-pointer from the top of the arc.

Animated and locked in on both ends, the All-American sparked the Zags’ previously stagnant offense. Tallying 15 first-half points, Timme relentlessly attacked Tass in the post with an array of savvy footwork mixed with brute strength and determination. Whether it was following up his own miss over three defenders, or faking a handoff before driving to the hoop, the junior once again had his way against the Gaels.

“It’s easy to score when you have guys like [Nembhard] and great shooters around you,” Timme said.

Holding a 13-point lead coming out of the locker room, the Zags offense picked up right where they left off. Timme finished over Kyle Bowen to start the second half, then knocked down a hook shot over Tass two possessions later. As Saint Mary’s adjusted in an attempt to slow him down, he began picking apart double-teams by finding the open man, including an alley-oop to Holmgren from the low block.

“Drew just got back to being Drew,” Few said. “We definitely needed every one of his [baskets] tonight.”

WITHSTANDING ONE LAST PUSH

A 21-point Gonzaga advantage wasn’t enough to deter the Gaels, who’s mental toughness has come through time and time again this season.

While most teams would falter from an 11-3 run by the Zags, the Gaels fight never quit. Alex Ducas cut the deficit to 16 following a 3-pointer on the left wing in transition. Following an offensive foul on Anton Watson, Ducas capitalized with a layup on the next possession.

Both teams began trading blows midway through the second half. A Khuse 3-pointer was answered by Nolan Hickman from the left wing, before Ducas drilled his second longball of the half to keep the Gaels within striking distance. Against an offense that is typically in cruise control for the final 10 minutes, Saint Mary’s refused to let Gonzaga seize control of the game.

With three minutes remaining, the once hyped student section grew anxious following a Tass dunk to trim the deficit to single digits.

But the final push was all for not. Julian Strawther knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a 69-58 ballgame. The next possession, Nembhard powered his way to the rim for an and-one over Logan Johnson. As time favored the Zags, Strawther delivered the final blow with another 3-pointer, this time from the right wing.

“I have all the confidence in the world in us to take care of business down the line,” Timme said of his team’s poise. “I think it was a good test for us to face going into March.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS AND LOOKING AHEAD

A shakeup in the polls was inevitable following yet another insane week of college hoops, it was just a matter of where each team stacked up as they rounded out their weekend slate. With Auburn’s loss to Arkansas, the door was open for the Zags to reclaim their spot at the top pending a sweep over two conference rivals, as well as solidify their stranglehold on the WCC.

More importantly, it’s a resume booster for March. Now with six Quad 1 wins this season, Gonzaga’s case for the top overall seed is that much closer to becoming a lock barring a hiccup in the WCC tournament.

After a two-game home stint, the Bulldogs are back on the road Wednesday when they travel to Malibu to take on the Pepperdine Waves (7-20, 1-11 WCC). Pepperdine fell to BYU, 91-85, Saturday night despite Houston Mallette’s 31 points.