Donovan Dent’s last-second 3-pointer was the shot that decided it, but LSU’s guards had been chipping away at Gonzaga long before that final dagger.
The Tigers walked out of the Arena with an 81-80 win on Saturday, and their backcourt did most of the damage. Dent, the UCLA transfer, led the way with 16 first-half points, including a banked-in 3-pointer right before the buzzer that helped LSU take a 39-37 lead into halftime. He finished the job at the end, swishing the game-winner over Chauncey Wiggins with 1 second left.
Dent wasn’t alone. Skyy Clark, who came in having made just 1 of 16 from deep, suddenly found his rhythm and buried three 3-pointers on the way to a season-high 14 points.
Abdi Bashir Jr. kept landing timely shots in the second half, drilling four 3s in the final 12 minutes and finishing with 15 points. Divine Ogochukwu added seven, and LSU’s four guards accounted for 59 of the Tigers’ 81 points.
Gonzaga had its own answers for stretches and even looked ready to break things open after building a 68-55 lead with 8:11 left. But LSU kept hanging around, and the Tigers’ guards kept making shots when the pressure tightened.
Javon Bennett was one of Gonzaga’s bright spots off the bench. With starting point guard Xaivian Lee in foul trouble early after picking up two quick fouls, Bennett stepped in and gave the Zags steady minutes in both halves.
He scored on a layup with 16:06 left for Gonzaga’s second field goal of the game, then turned defense into offense with three steals, two of them leading directly to transition baskets. He also added an assist and two free throws in 13 first-half minutes.
Bennett’s impact didn’t stop there. When Lee picked up his third foul with 3:50 left in the first half, Bennett stayed on the floor and helped Gonzaga hold the lead for 13 of the first 20 minutes.
He kept the offense moving after halftime too, including a feed to Isiah Harwell for a corner 3 after an LSU turnover. That basket put Gonzaga ahead 59-51 with 11:47 to go, and the Bennett-to-Harwell connection struck again a few minutes later when Bennett found Harwell for a jam that pushed the lead to nine.
Bennett finished with six points, five assists and four steals. Lee had nine points and two assists in 13 minutes.
Chauncey Wiggins also made his Gonzaga debut after becoming eligible Thursday through a temporary injunction by Spokane Superior Court Judge Dean Chuang. The Florida State transfer entered with 14:38 left in the first half and played 4½ minutes without scoring, but he made his presence felt in the second half.
Shortly after checking back in, the 6-foot-10 forward knocked down a 3-pointer to put Gonzaga up 43-41. Wiggins ended with three points and three rebounds in 12 minutes.
In Other News...
Cincinnati Has A Real Chance To Make An Early Statement Saturday
Saturdays college basketball slate has a little bit of everything, from ranked matchups to regional games that could shape conference races by winter. Gonzaga is part of the top-tier action, with the Bulldogs set to meet LSU for the first time, while the day also brings a useful measuring-stick game for Cincinnati at Dayton and another intriguing trip for New Mexico to Santa Clara.
For Gonzaga, the early-season spotlight is exactly the kind that can sharpen a team before the schedule gets heavier. The Bulldogs have already handled their first two games, and this one offers a fresh opponent from a different part of the country, the sort of nonconference test that can reveal a lot without yet carrying league pressure. Even with several other notable games on the board, this is the kind of matchup that should have Gonzaga fans watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Gets Its First Real Test As One Backcourt Battle Takes Over
Gonzaga and LSU arrive in Spokane unbeaten, which gives Fridays meeting at Spokane Arena a little extra edge even before the ball goes up. It is the kind of early-season test that can tell you something real about both teams, and it comes with a national TV window on USA Network at 12:30 p.m. PT on Nov. 14.
The backcourt matchup is the part that jumps out first, with Xaivian Lee and Donovan Dent set to steer their respective offenses in a game that should have plenty of pace and pressure. Both guards are fifth-year seniors playing on court-ordered eligibility, and for Gonzaga, the challenge is not just handling LSUs first real test, but matching a veteran lead guard who has quickly settled in at his new school. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzaga Wasted Braden Huffs Big Night In A Brutal LSU Loss
Braden Huff gave Gonzaga exactly the kind of interior production it needed on a night when the offense never really found its rhythm, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds in a game the Bulldogs still could not close out. The effort stood out even more because Gonzaga struggled to shoot efficiently overall, leaving Huff as the steady presence in a matchup that stayed tight from start to finish.
LSU made the most of that opening, especially after halftime, when its perimeter shooting began to tilt the game in its favor. The Tigers kept hanging around long enough to turn the final minute into a one-possession finish, and Gonzaga was left to sort through a loss that felt particularly painful because of how much one strong individual performance deserved a better result. [Read more 🡒]