Drew Timme powers Gonzaga to 104-63 season-opening win over North Florida
It didn’t take long for the Gonzaga men’s basketball team to find a rhythm in Monday’s season opener with North Florida.
After trading baskets with the Ospreys in the first few minutes of the game, the Zags went on a 26-0 scoring run that lasted eight minutes and 34 seconds - and ended with Gonzaga holding a 34-10 lead.
The lead continued to grow until it was 41 points when the final buzzer sounded in Gonzaga’s 104-63 win over North Florida at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- MORE GONZAGA-NORTH FLORIDA: PHOTO GALLERY
“We had a great intensity about us,” said Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. “I think we played with a little bit more sense of urgency … We got out and we made plays. I don’t think we sat back and just reacted.”
Forward Drew Timme was the Zags’ leading scorer with 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, but it was his work on the other end of the floor that earned him the most praise. The senior had three steals, a blocked shot and forced a number of misses from the Ospreys, who shot 36.5% from the field.
“I think when he’s focused and he’s attentive and playing with great energy, then I think he can really help us on that end,” Few said.
The noticeable difference in Timme’s defensive effort wasn’t random, as he’s been trying to improve that part of his game.
“It’s something I’ve been trying to work on and I want to show that I’m more engaged because quite honestly, I’m not the best defender but I don’t think I’m a terrible defender like people make me out to be and I think part of that is just my commitment to being focused on defense,” Timme said.
The Zags’ defensive stops often led to transition buckets as they scored 28 points off turnovers from North Florida. Gonzaga had five players besides Timme finish in double digits, including Julian Strawther, who had 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
While reports from a few weeks ago indicated that Strawther would likely start as a power forward, he opened the game in Gonzaga’s backcourt alongside Nolan Hickman and Rasir Bolton. Anton Watson and Timme made up the starting frontcourt duo as Few elected to use the same lineup from Gonzaga's two exhibition games.
Gonzaga’s first substitution off the bench was Malachi Smith, who tallied 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in a team-high 30 minutes of action. In total, the Zags’ bench produced 39 points, 33 of which were scored by either Smith or fellow reserves Hunter Sallis and Efton Reid III.
“Every game takes on a life of its own but we’d love to get that kind of support from our bench,” Few said. “In many cases, I don’t really consider those guys bench guys, they just happen to have to fill in because we've got those veteran guys that are starting.”
The Zags’ depth will be put to the test when they face Michigan State this Friday on the USS Abraham Lincoln in San Diego, California. It will be the first aircraft carrier game since 2012, with the matchup being a part of ESPN's Armed Forces Classic. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. PT.
“That’s something I’ve been looking forward to since they announced it,” Strawther said. “That's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I mean, there's only a handful of people that can ever say they played in the game on an aircraft carrier.”
PHOTO GALLERY: GONZAGA VS. NORTH FLORIDA
(All photos by Myk Crawford and Erik Smith)
