Mark Few identifies costly mistake that doomed Gonzaga in stunning loss to LSU

The Bulldogs held a 13-point second-half lead before LSU's relentless work on the offensive glass helped turn the game around

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs blew a 13 point second half lead on Saturday afternoon, falling 81-80 to the LSU Tigers after Donovan Dent drilled a game-winning three pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining.

It was a brutal blow for a Zags team that led for nearly 30 minutes of gameplay, but who failed to execute repeatedly down the stretch as LSU chipped away and got within striking distance, before Dent put the game on ice.

Missed free throws, questionable shot selection, and foul trouble plagued Gonzaga throughout the game, but in the final few minutes it was getting beat on the glass that did the Zags in.

Struggles on the boards

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Izan Almansa. | Photo by Erik Smith

LSU finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds - a whopping 13 which came in the second half and most which were in the final few minutes.

"The offensive glass was key again," Few said after the game. "Just huge offensive rebound after offensive rebound. We got the stop on the first action and then they just pinned their ears back and we couldn't get a rebound there at the end including a huge one on a free throw, which we work on a lot. They made more plays than we did down the stretch."

18-year-old Croatian big man Michael Ruzic finished with 12 boards in 21 minutes for the Tigers, including seven on the offensive glass. He and Mo Dioubate (six offensive boards) kept possessions alive for LSU, and multiple times those second chances ended in made threes by either Skyy Clark (3-8) or Abdi Bashir (5-8).

Gonzaga actually had 18 offensive rebounds themselves, and finished with a slight 17-16 advantage in second chance points, but it was the failure to finish possessions in the last five or so minutes that resulted in LSU's comeback victory.

Huff wasn't enough

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Braden Huff - who had a career-high 13 rebounds in 36 minutes - was excellent for Gonzaga, but outside of him, Davis Fogle (eight) and Izan Almansa (seven) the Zags were pretty miserable on the glass.

"That late in the game you have to find your legs. It's winning time," Huff said after the game. "We got to be more physical, more tough, and limit them to one shot. I think if we limit them to one shot it's a different story and we're a lot happier. But obviously we didn't do that. We have to be better."

Gonzaga will play plenty of big, physical teams this season, including upcoming matchups with UCLA (Dec. 5), Michigan State (Dec. 19) and of course Duke (Feb. 20), and they will struggle to win those games if they can't finish possessions and limit second chance opportunities.

Next up for Gonzaga is a quick turnaround against Montana State. The Zags and Bobcats are set to tip at 8:00 PM PT on Tuesday, Nov. 18, and the game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.