Recap: Holmgren shines in Bulldogs' 92-62 win over San Diego

The freshman phenom finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds to help his Zags plow past the Toreros on the road.

The No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (18-2, 7-0 WCC) picked up their 11th consecutive victory of the season after a 92-62 dismantling of the San Diego Toreros (13-10, 6-4 WCC) Thursday night in San Diego. Chet Holmgren shined on both ends of the floor, as he tallied 23 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.

After a seven-game homestead to start WCC play, the Bulldogs extended the nation’s longest road game winning streak to nine dating back to last year. It’s also the fourth straight season with a 7-0 start in conference action.

For the Toreros, the loss is a stain on what has been a surprise season under Sam Scholl. Overcoming injuries and COVID-19 pauses put the team in third place in the WCC entering Thursday.

Here’s how the Zags got the job done on the road:

THE UNICORN DAZZLES

Despite being slated as a top pick in this year’s NBA draft, some concerns continue to linger regarding the 7-footer. Does he have the size to go up against the best big men in the league? How is he going to bulk up? With such a unique player comes questions from the skeptics.

But one thing is certain; his versatility is must-see basketball.

That unique skillset helped bring life to the Jenny Craig Pavilion. A hot start from the Zags cooled off quickly, as the offense missed six of seven shot attempts over a three-minute stretch. Terrell Brown held his own against Drew Timme in the post, who struggled to get into a rhythm early on. Both sides slugged through a sloppy first half filled with turnovers and gritty defensive stops.

But then, the unicorn came to the rescue.

“When I came in and got my second wind, after I came out for a bit, I felt comfortable,” Holmgren said.

After not attempting a shot in the first 10 minutes, Holmgren got in the score column in a big way by finishing off an alley-oop pass from Nembhard with a one-hand dunk. It wasn’t long before he snuck by USD’s defense again, this time a two-hand flush courtesy of Rasir Bolton. The two quick baskets broke a three-minute scoring drought for the Zags, who jumped ahead 23-16 with seven minutes to play in the first half.

Defensively, Holmgren had the Toreros second-guess any attempt to drive inside. Vladimir Pinchuk shied away from the 7-footer but turned the ball over as he couldn’t find an open teammate. A few plays later, Brown, an excellent defensive player himself, got a taste of his own medicine when Holmgren swatted away a layup attempt. The freshman kept the ball inbounds and showed off his handle, going coast-to-coast before drawing a foul.

“[Holmgren]’s always a presence around the rim on defense,” Mark Few said.

Holmgren’s dominant first half powered Gonzaga to a 38-24 advantage heading into the locker room.

With USD making a push to start the second half, Holmgren silenced the crowd once again. “Overrated” chants from the student section were hushed once the 7-footer showed off his strength with a tough finish right through Brown for an and-one. Later, he stuffed the Pitt transfer at the rim again for his third block of the game, then converted a difficult layup on the other end.

USD had no answer for Holmgren offensively or defensively, and as a result, the game turned into a blowout midway through the second half. Up 64-49, a quick defensive rebound preceded a walk-up 3-pointer right in Brown’s face. Wayne McKinney III couldn’t answer on the other end for the Toreros, who paid the price for leaving Holmgren open again from deep.

In the blink of an eye, Holmgren had 11 points in less than a two-minute span.

“[My teammates] were finding me so all credit [goes] to them,” Holmgren said. “If they’re going to find me I need to deliver.”

MORE WAYS TO WIN THAN ONE

Topping an offensive performance that included 18 3-pointers was simply not going to happen for the Zags. If anything, it proved that the team could win in more ways than one on any given night, a valuable trait to have come postseason time.

Thursday night’s win was the old-school version of Zags basketball that can travel anywhere in the country. USD was committed to limiting opportunities for transition baskets but stopping Gonzaga in the half-court can be just as daunting of a challenge.

Despite a slow start from Timme, the Bulldogs found other ways to attack the rim, specifically through the pick-and-roll. Nembhard and Julian Strawther were able to find space in the lane early on with USD’s defenders going over the top of screens to take away the outside scoring threat. Multiple floaters and runners later forced Brown and Pinchuk to make a decision one-on-one, leaving Anton Watson and other Gonzaga big men to get easy layups from dump-off passes from Nembhard.

The Toreros never adjusted, and the Zags took advantage. After relentlessly attacking the paint for 25 minutes, Strawther knocked down the team’s first 3-pointer with 14:21 on the clock in the second half. Gonzaga would finish the night with 48 points in the paint.

UP NEXT

Gonzaga will head to Provo, Utah to take on the BYU Cougars in primetime on Saturday. Fans can tune in on ESPN at 7 p.m. to watch the Zags go for their fourth straight win over their bitter rival.