3 takeaways from Gonzaga’s stunning home loss: Zags overwhelmed by Loyola Marymount’s physical play
SPOKANE - Loyola Marymount shocked the college basketball world on Thursday night with a 68-67 win over No. 6 Gonzaga behind 27 points from Cameron Shelton, who knocked down the go-ahead basket with 11 seconds left.
For the Zags (16-4, 5-1 WCC), it was the first home loss in four years as the nation’s longest home winning streak was snapped at 75, the best mark in the modern era of Division I basketball.
It was the first win in the head-to-head series for the Lions (14-7, 4-3 WCC) since 2010 and their first in Spokane since 1991.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
THE COMEBACK KIDS COME UP SHORT
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
Close games are no stranger to the Zags, who won three games over conference rivals by a combined eight points. Fans probably expected stress-free basketball after a 40-point rout over Portland last weekend, but LMU made sure to keep things much more interesting.
A one-point turned into a seven-point deficit midway through the second half as the Lions' offense awakened behind Jalin Anderson and Cam Shelton. The backcourt tandem combined for 28 second-half points.
Meanwhile, the Zags’ offensive identity vanished as Timme struggled to find a rhythm. Missing 12 of the first 15 shot attempts to start the second half certainly didn’t help as the Lions’ physical defense wore down and stifled the No. 1 scoring offense in the country.
Down five with two minutes, the resiliency that prevailed earlier in the season wasn’t enough tonight.
A 3-pointer from Hickman cut the lead to two before Anton Watson tied it up with a thunderous dunk off a bad pass from Shelton with 1:27 left in regulation. Timme gave Gonzaga its first lead since early in the second half with a free throw, leaving the door open for the Lions to strike.
Shelton delivered with the go-ahead basket before Timme’s layup was swatted on the game’s final possession.
CAM SHELTON TAKES OVER
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
Coming off a 28-point performance against San Diego, Shelton arguably topped his best game as a Lion on Thursday.
The 6-foot-2 guard was unstoppable when it mattered most. Three straight misses didn’t deter him from knocking down a clutch 3-pointer that put LMU up seven with just under four minutes to play.
Whether it was Malachi Smith or Bolton, Shelton found ways to score, from stepbacks to up-and-under shots around the rim as he accounted for LMU’s final eight points.
“He’s a really good player. He’s great with the ball,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. “He’s one of the leading scorers in the league. He’s strong and has a lot of freedom.”
Entering Thursday, Shelton was fourth in the WCC, scoring 18.5 points per game.
REBOUNDING WOES
Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
In a grind-it-out game, the Lions overpowered the Zags throughout, especially down the stretch.
Though turnovers plagued LMU out of the gate, the relentless attack on the offensive rebounds brought the offense to life. Giving up eight offensive rebounds in the second half made it difficult for the Zags' offense to climb back into the fight.
“Just big, strong physical dudes just shoving us out of the way and grabbing it,” Few said of LMU’s ability to rebound.
Michael Graham extended the lead to six following back-to-back offensive rebounds, the second of which resulted in a foul from Watson.
“We knew they were going to be a physical team,” Watson said. “They’re always physical.”
TIME TO GET BACK ON TRACK
Gonzaga will look to rebound on Saturday when they head to Stockton, California, to take on the Pacific Tigers.
