Gonzaga beats Kentucky behind Rasir Bolton's 24 points
In a battle of college basketball powerhouses, the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-1) took down the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats (3-2) 88-72 in front of a record-breaking crowd in the Spokane Arena on Sunday night.
Three Zags scored over 20 points, led by Rasir Bolton’s 24 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Drew Timme added 22 points and Julian Strawther finished with 20 points.
After getting torched by Texas last week, the Bulldogs' defense tightened the clamps against the Wildcats to take the early advantage. Despite winning the turnover margin, Kentucky struggled to find the bottom of the net as they missed 12 of their first 14 shots.
- MORE GONZAGA-KENTUCKY: PHOTO GALLERY
“You can’t miss every open shot,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “Offensively in the first half was so embarrassing.”
Gonzaga’s offense wasted no time in capitalizing on the other end by knocking down seven of its first nine shots to take a 16-6 advantage before the midway point in the first half. The Wildcats' offense continued to sputter, going three minutes without a single point.
Few was pleased with the way his offense bounced back from the poor performance against Texas.
“You’re hoping that’s how your team responds after a disappointing loss,” Few said. “I also thought our response in the second half after [Kentucky] made their run was a really good sign for us.”
The Zags led by as many as 18 points in the first half. Three turnovers in a two-minute span for the Wildcats sparked a 12-2 Gonzaga run, capped off by an emphatic one-hand slam by Anton Watson, who finished with a double-double while guarding the reigning National Player of the Year, Oscar Tshiebwe.
“Anton was phenomenal tonight,” Few said. “He locked up with Oscar all night and did a great job. Every one of Oscar’s [made shots] were tough and it’s surprising he ended up with 20 [points].
In his first start of the season, Tshiebwe found himself battling against Watson for most of the night before foul trouble caught up with him. He finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds yet never found himself as the focal point of the offense.
“I couldn’t get Oscar to run the plays right. You know why? Because he hasn’t practiced with us,” Calipari said.
Tshiebwe missed Kentucky’s first two games of the season after undergoing surgery on his knee.
Despite the slow start, the Wildcats didn’t go away easily. A 15-4 run made it a four-point game with just over 13 minutes remaining, as back-to-back 3-pointers from Casson Wallace and Antonio Reeves got Kentucky back into the game.
The Zags pounded the paint to regain the momentum, as Strawther drew a foul on Tshiebwe on a drive to the rim. With their star center subbed out, it was Timme’s turn to attack as he got to the charity stripe after being fouled on a layup. Bolton knocked down a 3-pointer to answer another Wallace 3-pointer as both sides traded blows throughout the final half of play.
Kentucky committed 13 fouls in the second half compared to Gonzaga’s five.
Bolton knocked down a 3-pointer to answer another Wallace 3-pointer as both sides traded blows throughout the final half of play. He came up big down the stretch, including a pull-up from deep with two minutes remaining to all but seal the deal for the Zags.
“He was huge,” Few said of Bolton. “When those deep threes are going in, it’s a lot easier to stretch the floor for Drew and he does a great job at the free-throw line.”
The Zags head to Portland for the Phil Knight Legacy tournament starting Thursday. They’ll play Portland State in the first round at 9:30 pm in the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Fans can tune in to watch on ESPN.
PHOTO GALLERY: GONZAGA VS. KENTUCKY
(All photos by Myk Crawford and Erik Smith)
