Zags roll in NCAA Tournament: 3 takeaways from Gonzaga’s first-round win over Georgia

Battle, Huff, Hickman lead the way in 89-68 win to earn a shot at No. 1 seed Houston

Mar 20, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle (99) dribbles against Georgia Bulldogs guard Tyrin Lawrence (7) in the second half of a first round men’s NCAA Tournament game at Intrust Bank Arena. / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

It played out pretty much like you’d expect it would between a team that hadn’t been in the NCAA Tournament in 10 years and a program that was making its 26th straight appearance in March Madness.

The No. 8 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs blitzed the No. 9 seed Georgia Bulldogs in the opening minutes and ran away with an 89-68 win in the Midwest Region in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday. It was the 16th straight first-round win for Mark Few’s Zags and set up a must-see showdown against No. 1 seed Houston on Saturday.

Nolan Hickman set the tone when he hoisted a 3-pointer on the Zags’ first possession and Khalif Battle, Braden Huff and Graham Ike soon joined in to overwhelm the other Bulldogs. Gonzaga (26-8) used a suffocating defense to help build a double-digit lead just three minutes in and had advantages of 27-3 and 30-5 before the midway point of the first half. 

Battle had a game-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including hitting 4 of 7 3-pointers, and added eight rebounds. Huff and Hickman scored 18 apiece and Ike, who sat for 10 minutes in the first half with two fouls, finished with 13. Asa Newell scored 20 for Georgia (20-13), one of a record 14 teams from the SEC to make the field.

The Zags hit an eye-popping 12 of 20 3-pointers, including five by Hickman, after making just 1 of 15 in a 58-51 win against Saint Mary’s in the West Coast Conference Tournament title game on March 11

Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga’s win in Wichita.

Saturday showdown

Mar 20, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Michael Ajayi (1) dribbles in the second half of a first round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Intrust Bank Arena. / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

By being relegated to the 8-9 game, the Zags knew that a victory would almost certainly mean a second-round showdown against No. 1 Houston. Sure enough, the Cougars dispatched No. 16 SIU Edwardsville 78-40 earlier Thursday.

That means the Zags will have to make some history if they want to reach the Sweet 16 for the 10th straight time, which would extend the longest active streak in the nation. They’ve never beaten a No. 1 seed and the Cougars are sitting there with a 31-4 record and 14 straight wins. Kelvin Sampson’s team won the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles.

According to the TBS broadcasters, it’ll be the first matchup between teams with five-plus consecutive Sweet 16 appearances. The Cougars have five and the Zags nine.

Deadly from downtown

Mar 20, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) reacts after a basket in the first half of a first round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Intrust Bank Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It took Hickman just one shot to match the number of 3-pointers the Zags made in their previous game, the WCC title tilt against the rival Gaels. 

Ryan Nembhard, Emmanuel Innocenti and Battle joined in on the barrage from behind the arc. The Zags made 8 of 11 in taking a 48-27 at halftime. Overall, five Zags players hit at least 1 3-pointer.

About that D

Mar 20, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) defends Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell (14) in the first half of a first round men’s NCAA Tournament game at Intrust Bank Arena. / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Georgia never had a chance after getting hit with Gonzaga’s suffocating defense early in the game. The Zags forced seven turnovers in the first six minutes, when they scored the game’s first 13 points and then sprinted to a 27-3 lead.

Georgia didn’t make its first basket until more than four minutes had elapsed and didn’t reach double digits until midway through the first half. 

Hickman and Battle outscored the entire Georgia team in the first half. Hickman scored 15 points, including making all four of his 3-pointers, and Battle had 14. While Hickman banged away from deep, Battle made some highlight-reel plays inside as well as draining two 3’s. He also cleared seven boards.

The Zags forced 10 turnovers total in the first 20 minutes that led to 20 points. 

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after NCAA Tournament win vs. Georgia

• Desperation sets in for Gonzaga's seniors ahead of 2025 NCAA Tournament: 'Our story is far from over'

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said ahead of 2025 NCAA Tournament

• College basketball expert on Gonzaga: 'Yeah, they're not going to 10 straight Sweet 16s'

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