Olynyk, Harris Lead Gonzaga In Dominating Win Over BYU

There was quite a bit of tension prior to the tip of tonight's Gonzaga-BYU contest. Would we see a wounded Gonzaga Bulldogs team tonight or a hungry one? After two minutes, that question was pretty much answered. The Zags came out tonight and dominated BYU from the tip and cruised to a 83-63 victory. Elias Harris and Kelly Olynyk once again led the way for Mark Few's squad as the incredible duo combined for 51 points and 17 rebounds.

Along with the production of Harris and Olynyk, it was Gonzaga's defense that really set the table for an easy win. BYU's leading scorer Tyler Haws finished with just one, yep one, point on the night. Talented big man Brandon Davies was on skates all game and got pushed around by Harris and Olynyk all night long. Davies finished with just 14 points and 6 rebounds. It was probably the Bulldogs best defensive performance in recent memory as the Zags were clearly the aggressor on both ends of the court and showed a toughness that so many clamor for when watching Gonzaga. BYU may not be as talented as they have in recent memory but this was a very impressive showing.

BYU cut the lead down to the low double digits in the second half but never really posed a serious threat as the Bulldogs continued to answer each Cougar run. It was primarily Harris and Olynyk doing the answering for Gonzaga as the duo was simply remarkable. Elias Harris, in particular, I thought was about as active as I have seen him all season. He absorbed several and-one fouls and did not even seem phased to take the contact. He was active on the glass, as well, and had one of his best games of the season. Olynyk did what Olynyk does. He scored in a variety of ways and made the most difficult shots look routine.

All in all, it was a great win that showed just how strong this team is. More than anything, tonight just felt like a statement to the rest of the WCC that there is a clear dominant team in this conference and it is a familiar face.