Gonzaga Rolls Over Creighton 83-65

Gonzaga got off to a hot start and rode that momentum to an 18-point victory over Creighton in the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs were once again led by the mustache man, as Drew Timme was high scorer for the game with 22 points, to go along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Andrew Nembhard also had a big game, finishing with 17 points and 8 assists on the day.

The Zags avoided the slow start that bit them against Oklahoma, shooting 5-6 from the field to start the game, and holding Creighton to just 4-10 from the field at the first break. The passing for Gonzaga was once again prevalent, as they had assists on each of those first five made baskets. As the first half went on, the Blue Jays managed to stay within arm’s length, but rarely got within two or three possessions.

The offensive disparity between the two teams was evident at halftime, as GU was outpacing Creighton by over 20% on field goal attempts. Creighton couldn’t take advantage of one of their strengths, shooting just 3-13 from three, with all of those makes coming from Marcus Zegarowski. Both Timme and Nembhard finished the half with 12 points for the Bulldogs, while Joel Ayayi had three 3’s.

The first four minutes of the second half proved to be crucial in sealing the deal for Gonzaga, as they stretched their 10-point halftime lead to 16 in that span, helped by 4-8 shooting. Corey Kispert’s aggressive play, including his first three and multiple offensive rebounds, helped the Zags extend their lead. They used that early second half push to pull away from the Blue Jays, and once again had the outcome of the game decided well before forty minutes were played.

In addition to Timme and Nembhard, Kispert and Ayayi also finished in double figures, with 12 and 13 respectively, and Jalen Suggs had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Marcus Zegarowski led the way for Creighton with 19. Gonzaga will play the winner of USC and Oregon in the Elite Eight on Tuesday.

Three wins down, three more to go. Go Zags.