Gonzaga had LSU on the ropes for much of Saturday afternoon, but one late shot flipped everything.
Donovan Dent buried a game-winning three with 1.5 seconds left, and the Tigers escaped with an 81-80 win after Mark Few’s Bulldogs couldn’t finish the job in a physical, messy contest. Gonzaga dropped to 2-1, with veteran big man Braden Huff doing most of the heavy lifting in the loss.
Huff was the steady presence the Zags leaned on all game. He finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass, and kept Gonzaga afloat when the offense sputtered around him. He shot 8-16 from the field and gave the Bulldogs a chance to control the game despite a night that never really settled into their usual rhythm.
That rhythm never came from the perimeter, either. Gonzaga shot 44.6% from the field and went just 9-for-14 at the free throw line, with a miss by Davis Fogle setting up Dent’s final dagger. The Bulldogs were also held without a made three until early in the second half, when Chauncey Wiggins finally got them on the board from the corner.
From there, Gonzaga briefly found some life. Isiah Harwell knocked down a pair of threes, and Fogle drilled a corner triple as the shot clock expired to help stretch the lead midway through the second half. But LSU kept answering, and the Tigers were far more comfortable from deep down the stretch, finishing 8-for-14 from three in the second half.
Dent was the difference. The fifth-year senior was already wrecking the game before halftime, posting 16 points, four assists and three steals in the opening 20 minutes. He cooled off in the second half, but when LSU needed one more shot, he delivered the biggest one of the day and finished with 23 points.
The matchup between Dent and Xaivian Lee was supposed to be the headline within the game, but foul trouble changed that fast. Lee picked up two fouls in the first two minutes, then got whistled for his third shortly after returning late in the first half. Even so, he still made his presence felt after halftime, including a big three just under five minutes that pushed Gonzaga’s lead to 10.
That cushion didn’t last. LSU chipped away behind Skyy Clark, who went 3-for-8 after opening the season 1-for-11, and Abdi Bashir, who hit three huge shots to keep the Tigers alive late. Those makes helped set the stage for Dent’s winner and left Gonzaga staring at a loss that slipped away in the final seconds.
The Zags now have to move on quickly. They host Montana State on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at McCarthey Athletic Center, with tipoff set for 8:00 PM PT on CBS Sports Network.
In Other News...
Cincinnati Has A Real Chance To Make An Early Statement Saturday
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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
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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 Let This One Slip As Two Zags Changed The Conversation
Gonzaga had a chance to leave with a statement win, but LSU kept turning the game into a guard-driven track meet and the Bulldogs could never quite finish the job. Donovan Dent, Skyy Clark and Abdi Bashir Jr. all had a hand in LSUs push, and the game swung back and forth with lead changes and tense possessions down the stretch before the final minute turned into a scramble for control.
Even in the loss, there were a couple of developments Gonzaga can build on. Javon Bennett gave the Bulldogs a real lift off the bench with his scoring, playmaking and pressure defense, while Chauncey Wiggins finally got into the mix after becoming eligible to play and added another piece to the rotation. For a team still sorting out its late-game identity, those are the kinds of details that matter almost as much as the result. [Read more 🡒]