Gonzaga Game Preview: Dower and No. 15 Zags Meet the Rams at the Kennel
By Josh Horton
Nov 9, 2013; Spokane, WA, USA; A group of Gonzaga Bulldog students hold up a sign against the Bryant Bulldogs during the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga won 100-76. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Gametime: 6 PM PST
TV: ESPNU
Leading Scorers from last contest: GU – Dower 21 – CSU – Berjano 17
Leading Rebounders from last contest: GU – Dower 17 – CSU – Berjano 16
Leading Distributors from last contest: GU – Pangos 5 – CSU – Berjano/Octeus 5
The 1-0 Gonzaga Bulldogs will host the Colorado State Rams tonight in hopes of snagging an early non-conference quality victory. The Rams come into the game with a 1-0 record after beating UC Colorado Springs Friday night by a score of 99 to 70. The game is part of the ESPN tip-off marathon, and will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
The Rams will be led by junior guard Daniel Berjano, who scored 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Colorado’s States victory over CSSU. Berjano came off the bench last season and averaged 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. The Rams come into this season without their five leading scorers from last year.
Keys to the Game for Gonzaga
Stay out of Foul Trouble
Sophomore center Przemek Karnowski had to sit for the majority of the first half against Bryant after picking up two early fouls. Although Sam Dower picked up the slack in the Zags frontcourt against Bryant, the Bulldogs will need Karnowski’s size against the far bigger and more physical Colorado State Rams.
Wing Defense
The Rams will rely heavily on Daniel Berjano, and Gonzaga will have to find an answer for him. Expect the Bulldogs to be in zone for the early part of this game, considering none of the Zags starters have the size or quickness to matchup with him. If the Zags need to run a man defense, expect either Gerard Coleman or Kyle Dranginis to match up with Berjarno.
Shoot the lights out
Gonzaga needs to do a much better job of shooting in this game compared to how they did against Bryant. If you take away Gary Bell Jr.’s 3 for 4 from behind the arc, the Bulldogs shot only 20% from the three-point arc. The Zags will need to shoot well as a collective unit in order to slay the Rams.