SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga men's basketball returns to the hardwood against Pepperdine on Monday at 6 p.m. in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals.
The Bulldogs handled them by 28 points in the only showdown between the two teams this season. The Zags really had no trouble getting out to a hot start in that game. They really put the Waves away in the first half in a 92-64 win.
Buckets on Buckets
Forward Rui Hachimura had 23 points and guard Zach Norvell Jr. finished with 21.
It was Norvell Jr. who really energized the team and set the tone on offense. He was drilling from behind the arc, sinking 4 or 8 attempted three-pointers in the first half.
Clarke brought the defense
Forward Brandon Clarke was a game-changer, too. A menace, if you will.
He had 16 points, but his effort on the defensive end with five blocks is what really made a difference.
Where they wanted to improve
However, talking overall defense, the team felt like they could pick it up a little more, citing sloppiness in some areas.
Gonzaga could have done better on the defensive boards and giving up second chance points. Pepperdine pulled down 15 offensive rebounds, which is quite a bit.
Then again, Gonzaga could probably skate by on talent anyways, but still, you just never know.