Timme scores 30, Zags cruise by BYU Cougars

Rivalry games hold a special significance during the regular season. More than just another game to decide conference standings, it’s a battle between two teams who have a particular distaste for one another. Thursday’s battle between the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (13-2, 2-0 WCC) and BYU Cougars (14-4, 2-1 WCC) was certainly one of those games, as the Zags handled the Cougars 110-84 in Spokane.

Drew Timme led all scorers with 30 points on 13-for-14 shooting from the floor. Andrew Nebhard bounced back after a quite outing last week with 22 points and 12 assists, while Julian Strawther dropped 20 for the Zags.

With the win, the Zags extended the nation’s longest home winning streak to 61 games.

Here’s three takeaways Thursday’s game:

A KENNEL BURNER

The energy in the McCarthey Athletic Center already got a boost once the student section filled with 1,200 rowdy Zags fans coming back from winter break. And as the Zags and Cougars traded body blows early on, it truly felt like a rivalry game between goliaths of the WCC.

As BYU came out swinging with a 7-0 lead in less than a minute, Strawther gave GU its first lead moments later following a pair of floaters and a 3-pointer. Alex Barcello quickly answered with a long ball of his own, only to have Strawther reply once again on the other end. With each side racing up and down the floor, the game was knotted up at 20 apiece in less than seven minutes of action.

But as the Zags’ continued the track meet, the Cougars began to run out of steam. Nembhard continued his strong shooting night as he knocked down a pair of jumpers to push the lead to nine. Every BYU miss on offense translated to an easy layup or transition 3-pointer for GU, who shot 67.6% from the floor in the first half. Holmgren and Timme began dominating in the low post, including two dunks for the 7-footer that brought the crowd to its feet.

The Bulldogs headed into the locker room with a 61-49 advantage, becoming the first team in to score 60 points in the first half of back-to-back games in the last decade. The two teams combined to shoot 58.8% from the floor and 20 3-pointers.

GU continued to dominate in the second half, shooting 71.4% from the field while holding the Cougars to just 35 points for the period.

“Our pace after makes and misses was good,” Nembhard said. “Everybody was just clicking together.”

TIMME TIME

Now in his third season, it’s crazy to think some fans have begun to take Timme’s dominance for granted. Casually the team’s leading scorer, the Wooden Award candidate proved he’s a strong contender for the award with a an efficient 30-point performance against the Cougars on Thursday.

Matched up primarily against Caleb Lohner, who had some words about GU earlier in the week, Timme brought a smile to all Zags fans as he punished the sophomore in the post. Time and time again he was fed down low, with the Cougars refusing to adjust or send a double team. Outside of a desperate 3-point heave, it was a perfect performance on offense for Timme.

“I take pride in being efficient,” Timme said. “I always like to take shots that come to me through the offense.”

No heat-checks. No ego-ball. Just patient yet decisive offense from the big man.

NEMBHARD AWAKENS

A few quiet performances from one of the nation’s best point guards had Mark Few pestering for a more aggressive mindset from Andrew Nembhard. He hadn’t crossed double figures in scoring in seven of his last eight games, including just three points on as many attempts in last week’s win over Pepperdine. The offense thrived off his playmaking abilities, but at some point, he would have to reassert himself as a scoring threat.

Thursday was that breaking point.

Starting off with back-to-back 3-pointers, the senior posted 13 first-half points to go along with five assists as he carved up the Cougars defense. He began seeking out mismatches in the pick-and-roll game, bringing out taller and slower defenders to go one-on-one with before making his move. Unlike in previous outings, he didn’t shy away from the occasional midrange jumper either.

“I’ve been asking Andrew to do that for two years now,” Few said. “Andrew is such an unbelievable passer that I think a lot of times he views that as the right basketball play.”

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs have a quick turnaround as they travel to Santa Clara for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Broncos. GU is seeking its 24th consecutive conference victory, which would extend the nation’s longest active streak.