What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after win vs. LMU Lions

The Bulldogs used a 22-2 scoring run in the second half to pull away from the Lions

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Thursday night didn't feature the high-octane scoring that Gonzaga fans have come to expect from their team over the years, though the Bulldogs made positive strides on the defensive end of the floor in their 73-53 win over Loyola Marymount at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

The Lions (14-9, 6-5 WCC) put in a lot of legwork to hang with the Bulldogs (17-7, 8-3 WCC) early on, trimming what was a double-digit deficit to just three at the halftime break amid quite a cold stretch from the home team to close the first half. After making their first five attempts from the field, the Zags missed 20 of their next 25 looks while committing a few careless turnovers that gave life to an LMU team that was also having its share of troubles on the offensive end of the floor.

Despite a handful of turnovers out of the gate, the Lions roared back to take a 46-45 lead with 10:26 left in the second half. It was all Zags from there, however, as they went on a 22-2 scoring run over the next 7 minutes before putting the finishing touches on their 10th win at home this season. Khalif Battle led the way with 24 points, Ryan Nembhard had 15 points and nine assists while Braden Huff added 14 off the bench for the Bulldogs.

Here's what Gonzaga head coach Mark Few had to say after the game.

On what he saw from the Bulldogs during their 22-2 scoring run:

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34). / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

"It was the best of the best. We played great defense. We did a great job competing on the glass. We had to really go high point some balls and scratch and claw ... and then we were really, really smart and efficient on the offensive end after being really stagnant in the first half after our start, we got really stagnant, and we were a little stagnant to start a second half. They were switching up a bunch of their coverages. They did a nice job, but guys figured it out and then obviously [Braden] Huff started delivering, and Ryan [Nembhard] was cooking. [Khalif Battle] was great tonight. He was getting downhill and making plays, and that last group that was in really did a terrific job."

On Khalif Battle's recent stretch of games:

Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle (99). / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

"He's been a little bit of an enigma quite honestly, it's just hard to figure out. We're at our best when he's at his best, clearly, and so hopefully we can keep him in that space he was in tonight and keep delivering. But it has been wildly inconsistent. But when he's on, he's on."

On what he's seen defensively from the Zags over the last four games:

Gonzaga senior guard Ryan Nembhard (0) and LMU sophomore Jan Vide (7). / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

"It was pretty good. It wasn't good the first half against Saint Mary's, certainly the first 10 minutes or 12 minutes, but we were able to switch the zone and get it going in that game. The other games our man defense was really, really good. So it's a little bit like everything else: it's been kind of hit or miss. Not quite ready to write songs about it, but crossing my fingers and hope it continues on its upward trend."

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