Gonzaga's Ben Gregg has breakout game: 'It's always fun to have those type of nights'
SPOKANE - It was all smiles in the McCarthey Athletic Center Saturday night as the Gonzaga men's basketball team put on a show in a 101-74 victory over San Diego, fueled by a career night from Ben Gregg.
The Bulldogs' (11-4, 2-0 WCC) 6-foot-10 junior brought his usual energetic self with a little extra scoring pop to his game against the Toreros (10-7, 0-2 WCC), finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds and four steals. He shot 8-for-15 from the field and was 4-for-4 at the free throw line.
"He came in and gave us energy right from the jump," Mark Few said of Gregg's big game. "Just making positive plays on both ends of the floor. I thought that was huge."
Gonzaga's offense was in rhythm once again as the Bulldogs shot 56.5% from the field and 10-for-23 from beyond the arc. It was the fourth time this season the Zags shot better than 50% overall and 40% on 3-point attempts in a game, and the second straight after doing so against Pepperdine on Thursday.
Despite the rough shooting night overall, the Toreros never quit behind Deuce Turner, who scored a game-high 24 points and was 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Freshman forward Kevin Patton Jr. was effective with 16 points and five rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga's win.
BEN GREGG STEALS THE SHOW
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
To Ben Gregg, he got off to a "mediocre" start to the 2023-24 season. Whether he was being too self-critical or not, he entered Saturday's game averaging 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds. The counting numbers clearly didn't live up to Gregg's expectations of himself, but after his career night Saturday, he's ready for more of the same going forward in WCC play.
"I feel like I've had a pretty mediocre beginning to the season so far, so to see some more shots go in tonight feels good," Gregg said. "So hopefully now build on this game and get more consistent with it."
Gregg's first play on the floor essentially summed up the kind of night Gonzaga had defensively; he intercepted a pass to the top of the key from Turner, raced ahead and put down an easy dunk on the other end. Gregg would go on to have three more steals to set a new career-best, something he probably didn't foresee happening heading into the night.
"Well personally I'm not known for my defense so getting four [steals], it's kind of a shock to me as well," Gregg said. "They kind of fell into my lap, to be honest. The first one definitely did."
Offensively, everything went his way. From post-ups to cleaning up loose rebounds and putbacks, it seemed like none of Gregg's eight field goals were created equally. He thrived in the fast-paced tempo and free-flowing offense the Bulldogs ran to combat the Toreros' intricate defensive sets.
Gregg admitted that it's sometimes difficult to bring that level of energy every game, but if he truly can turn Saturday's performance into a series of solid games off the bench, that would be huge for the Bulldogs' upcoming three-game road stretch.
WHAT SHOOTING WOES?
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
The Bulldogs have shown a lot of mental toughness over the last 72 hours. After shooting sub-30% on 3-point attempts in their previous five games, they've shot better than 40% in back-to-back outings to start WCC play. For the players, though, nothing has changed regarding their approach or training. Sometimes it's as simple as making or missing shots.
"We got guys that are working at it every day and people don't see that," Gregg said. "They just see the numbers in games, but I mean, we're playing at a high level right now. We know what it took to get us here. And everybody's been staying consistent with the reps in the gym."
On top of consistency, their confidence never wavered. Nolan Hickman was aggressively looking for his shot once again, probing the defense while coming off screens with the intent to make a play. If the Toreros played zone defense, he patiently swung the ball around until an opening in the zone presented itself for a clean look from deep. Hickman finished with 17 points and was 3-of-8 on 3-point attempts.
"Just having that confidence to be able to shoot any shot that you're open, you know, and letting it fly and being confident," Hickman said. "I feel like it's a huge key, especially with today's game and all the shooters that are on the squad."
Much of the same could be said about Ryan Nembhard, who stuffed the stat sheet while having by far his best shooting night as a Bulldog. The junior did a little bit of everything, finishing with 16 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals, He also tied a career-best with four 3-pointers.
After going 2-for-3 from deep against Pepperdine, Nembhard is now 6-for-8 on 3-pointers in WCC play. Prior to Thursday, he was 6-for-35 on the season. There aren't many players in college basketball who would have the mental toughness to overcome that kind of a start.
"Ryan's a good shooter. He just got off to a miserable start," Few said. "It's been tough ... it shows you how mentally strong of a kid he is."
Keeping that level of confidence will be key on the Bulldogs' upcoming road trip to Santa Clara (Jan. 11), Pepperdine (Jan. 18), and San Diego (Jan. 20).
EXTRA MOTIVATION FROM THE 1999 TEAM
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
The program dedicated the last few days to honoring previous generations of Bulldogs who helped set the foundation of excellence over the past quarter-century. Amid the fanfare and celebration, there was an added sense of admiration from the current players that fed into the desire to not only win for the sake of the standings, but also for those who came before.
The Zags also rocked era-appropriate throwback jerseys that many will want to see return at some point.
"Coach (Stephen) Gentry made it a point to us in our pregame here today that this jersey is not just for how it looks," said Hickman. "I mean obviously it looks pretty cool, but just the legacy this place has ... the teams that wore these, they set the blueprint for what we do now."
The win over Pepperdine, which was a powerhouse in the league around the time of Gonzaga's initial ascension in the late 90s, followed by a blowout victory over San Diego on Saturday was from a team playing in front of the guys who helped make it all possible decades later. An extra feeling of pride for sure.
"We knew that coming out, we weren't just playing for us," Hickman said. "We were playing for all the alumni. So it was a real good opportunity and situation for us and I'm glad we just came out, got the win and played hard for them."
