Takeaways after Gonzaga falls to LSU following Donovan Dent's game winning three

Gonzaga drops to 2-1 on the year after Donovan Dent led LSU to a dramatic 81-80 victory.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Izan Almansa. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs battled through a rough shooting performance against a physical LSU Tigers squad, but ultimately fell 81-80 after Donovan Dent hit a game-winning three with 1.5 seconds left.

Gonzaga (2-1) was led by veteran big man Braden Huff, who finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds in the losing effort.

The Zags struggled offensively all night long, shooting 44.6% (33-74) from the field and 9-14 from the free throw line, including a miss by Davis Fogle which led to Dent's game winning shot.

Dent decisively won the point guard battle

LSU Tigers guard Donovan Dent. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Donovan Dent vs. Xaivian Lee was projected as the game within the game on Saturday afternoon, but early foul trouble for Lee took the air out of the battle between the two fifth year seniors, and Dent fully took advantage.

Dent was outstanding, scoring 16 points with four assists and three steals in the first half and then - after a quieter second - he hit the game winning three to give him 23 points on the night.

Lee didn't play bad, but he picked up two fouls in the first two minutes and then picked up foul No. 3 shortly after subbing back in late in the first half. He still found ways to contribute in the second half, including a big three just under five minutes that gave the Zags a ten point lead, but it was eventually wiped away with poor defense from the team down the stretch.

Outside shooting was a major separator

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Chauncey Wiggins. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Gonzaga's outside shooting was - once again - an issue on Saturday afternoon. The Zags were held without a made three until early in the second half when Chauncey Wiggins announced his presence on this roster by drilling a triple from the corner.

The Zags then started to catch a little fire, with Isiah Harwell hitting a pair and Fogle hitting from the corner with the shot clock expiring to help the Zags extend the lead midway through the second half.

However, LSU was very comfortable from beyond the arc in the second half, shooting 8-14 including Dent's game winner with 1.5 left on the clock. Skyy Clark (3-8) finally found his shot after starting the season 1-11, while Abdi Bashir (5-8) hit a trio of silencers to keep LSU in this game late in the second half, allowing Dent to hit the winner.

Braden Huff is back

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Gonzaga wasn't their usual efficient selves around the rim on Saturday, and that was true for everyone including Braden Huff. But Huff still found a way to lead the Zags in scoring, dropping 18 points while shooting 8-16 from the field.

But perhaps more important than his scoring was his rebounding. In a physical matchup against a big LSU squad, Huff grabbed 13 rebounds - including six on the offensive glass.

His work all afternoon was one of the main reasons Gonzaga led most of this contest, on a day when most everyone else struggled to convert from the field.

Gonzaga doesn't have much time to wallow, hosting the Bobcats of Montana State on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The game is set to tip at 8:00 PM PT and will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.