Recap: A strong first-half showing powers Zags past Cougars in Provo

As it turns out, fans will have to wait for the first road test of the year. Led by Chet Holmgren’s 20 points and 17 rebounds, the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (19-2, 8-0 WCC) picked up their 12th straight win with a 90-57 blowout win over arch-rival BYU (17-8, 5-5 WCC) Saturday night in Provo, Utah.

Gonzaga entered the night off the heels of a 30-point rout over San Diego on Thursday. With the win in Provo, the Bulldogs have won a nation’s-best 29 straight conference games, 26 of which coming by double digits, as well as 10 straight true road games dating back to last season.

For the Cougars, they’ve entered uncharted territory following Saturday night’s loss. The first four-game losing streak is longest under head coach Mark Pope. The 5-5 start to conference play is the program’s worst in its 10-year tenure as a member of the WCC.

Here’s how the Zags got it done against BYU in Provo:

AN EARLY HAYMAKER

If basketball is a game of runs, then Gonzaga is a world-class sprinter. Time and time again this season, opposing teams have had the wind taken out of their sails upon the opening tip before they can even dream of keeping up.

Despite being in a hostile environment for the first time this season, the Zags were locked in from the opening tip.

Two quick buckets from the Cougars were answered immediately, including a 3-pointer from Rasir Bolton that gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the night. Julian Strawther found himself wide open from deep moments later following what would be the first of many blocked shots by Holmgren. The 7-footer’s presence in the paint had BYU second-guessing every attempt at driving inside, resulting in wild shots and several costly turnovers near the rim.

With the Cougars off balance, the Bulldogs seized the opportunity to control the tempo. A steal by Nembhard on Spencer Johnson led to a 3-pointer in transition for Bolton, the second of his three 3-pointers. Another defensive stop translated to an easy dunk for Holmgren over Alex Barcello, giving the Zags a 19-9 lead. It wasn’t long before the freshman shook the rim again after finishing off an alley-oop pass in transition from Nolan Hickman.

And just like that, Gonzaga delivered a 27-4 run to stun the 19,000 in attendance at the Marriot Center. Gideon George knocked down a 3-pointer to end a four-minute scoring drought for the home team, only to receive little applause from the crowd.

There wouldn’t be much more to cheer about either, as the Bulldogs headed into the half with a 47-23 advantage behind their strong start. The Cougars never could find a rhythm in the first-half onslaught, shooting just 9-for-36 with nine turnovers.

NOT IN YOUR HOUSE

Advertised as a basketball game, the Zags decided to throw a block party instead for the fans at the Marriott Center with the WCC’s leading shot blocker as its host. After a six-block performance in the first meeting, Holmgren had his way with the Cougars once again and this time, he had some help.

Transition baskets were simply off the table all night for BYU with the 7-footer roaming the paint. After Atiki Ally Atiki had his jump hook rejected by Holmgren, the Cougars next possession ended in a missed midrange jumper from Caleb Lohner after the Cougars had a three-on-one advantage in the fast break. Despite a few opportunities to capitalize off Gonzaga turnovers, any attempt at transition points was turned away by the freshman phenom, who finished the first half with four blocks and many altered attempts.

With just over four minutes in the first half, Gonzaga had six blocked shots to BYU’s seven made field goals.

And as it turns out, blocking shots can be contagious. After BYU ended its scoring drought, Trevin Knell had his layup attempt emphatically rejected from behind by Nembhard. Later, the junior had two of his jumpshots rejected by Strawther in the span of 15 seconds. Even Hunter Sallis joined in on the action with a two-handed stuff on Trey Stewart at the rim.

Paced by Holmgren, Gonzaga matched its season-high with nine blocks against the Cougars.

POLL IMPLICATIONS AND NEXT UP

An argument can be made that there isn’t a clear-cut title favorite thus far into the season, but after Saturday night, there’s little debate as to who should be at the top of Monday’s AP poll.

While Auburn has looked vulnerable as the No. 1 team, Gonzaga has thrived since losing the top spot in late January. Neither team has had a signature win over the last two weeks, but the Bulldogs’ consistency over that stretch in conference play should be enough to leapfrog the Tigers.

Where Gonzaga stands in the polls will be known by next Thursday when they return home to take on the Pacific Tigers at 6 p.m. This’ll be the first meeting this season between the two programs, as the Jan. 20 matchup was postponed due to COVID-19.