Gonzaga beats USF, gains ground on Saint Mary's: 3 takeaways
SPOKANE - It wasn't as suspenseful this time around, but Gonzaga defeated San Francisco on Thursday to sweep the season series.
The No. 16 Zags (20-5, 9-2 WCC) rolled to a 99-81 victory over the Dons (15-12, 4-8) at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Before the game, Gonzaga retired Dan Dickau's jersey in a special ceremony. After the game, the Zags learned they had picked up a game in the standings on Saint Mary's (21-5, 10-1) who was stunned by Loyola Marymount 78-74.
Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga's win over USF:
DREW TIMME OVERPOWERS SAN FRANCISCO'S FRONTCOURT
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
It didn’t take long for Drew Timme to make history on Thursday night, becoming Gonzaga’s all-time field goal leader on his first shot attempt of the game.
After receiving the ball in the post, Timme immediately spun into a layup for his 801st career field goal, passing Frank Burgess on the program’s leaderboard.
The historic bucket was the start of a productive night for Timme, who finished with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field in 20 minutes.
Timme had 20 points before halftime, but was taken out early in the second half with Gonzaga ahead by a sizable margin.
The All-American's performance was a complete turnaround from the 3-for-16 shooting night he recorded against San Francisco on Jan. 5.
"He was attacking a little bit better instead of slow-playing everything," Few said. "They got some really good size in there and I think it's better when he's in a quick attacking mode."
RASIR BOLTON SHINES AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO ONCE AGAIN
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
When the Zags and Dons faced off in San Francisco earlier in the season, it ended on a putback layup from Bolton with eight seconds remaining.
Bolton tallied 21 points that night, but was just as impactful this time around, finishing with 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting.
"I know I had a big game down there last time, so I came out a little more aggressive and it worked out for me," Bolton said.
Bolton was also one of Gonzaga's primary facilitators, ending with a team-high six assists in 36 minutes.
"I played a little point [guard] before I got here so I'm comfortable with it in my hands," Bolton said.
GONZAGA CAPITALIZES AT FREE-THROW LINE
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
The Zags haven't been a consistent free-throw shooting team this season, but on Thursday, they did a lot of damage at the charity stripe.
Gonzaga shot 25-for-33 or 75.8% on their free-throw attempts, the team's most efficient showing since they shot 76.5 % in their 85-75 win over Montana on Dec. 20.
San Francisco picked up four fouls in less than a minute of play, which eventually led to Gonzaga getting into the bonus much earlier than usual.
The Dons committed 22 fouls, while the Zags had 14.
