Gonzaga Game Recap: Bulldogs Win Battle Between Eastern Washington Rivals

Nov 21, 2013; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Drew Barham (43) celebrates a three-pointer against the Washington State Cougars during the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Gonzaga handed Washington State its first loss of the season today when the Bulldogs knocked off the Cougars in the Kennel by a score of 90-74.

Kevin Pangos had 27 points, 3 Rebounds, and 4 assists, making him the Bulldogs top performer of the evening. Drew Barham gave the Bulldogs a nice offensive punch off the bench with 19 points. Barham was feeling it from 3 tonight, as he went 5 of 8 from the 3-point line. He also led the Bulldogs with 8 rebounds. David Stockton paved the way with 9 assists.

The Cougars freshman point guard Ike Iroegbu was their leading scorer, rebounder, and distributor tonight with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. He projects to be a nice player for WSU in the near future.

Stat of the Night

Senior guard/forward Drew Barham set his career high in scoring tonight with 17 points.

Keys to the Game Checklist

Shut Down Lacy – Check Minus

Lacy was not completely shut down, but he did not have a big night either. He had 14 points on 3-8 shooting.

Use Your Size – Check Minus

The Bulldogs outrebounded the Cougars 34-30, but neither Przemek Karnowski nor Sam Dower Jr. had overwhelming games tonight.

The Bottom Line

The Bulldogs were a 15.5 points favorite, and the Bulldogs won by 16, showing that Vegas had that betting line correct and the Bulldogs played about as well as expected.

Gonzaga let Washington State go on runs to keep within striking distance, but never let them actually strike.

Some general GU bullet points:

• The pecking order at the guard position is apparent. First there are the starters Bell, Pangos, and Stockton, then Dranginis, and then Coleman.

Gerard Coleman was predicted to be a starter for this team in the offseason, and now can barely find the court. In just 5 minutes, Coleman scored 0 points and had 3 turnovers. In the previous games, Coleman showed his elite skill set and was a wizard in the open court, getting the rim with little contention.

Coleman’s lack of playing time mostly likely stems from Coach Mark Few seemingly putting him in the doghouse. Keep a look out to see if Coleman was benched for his poor play in this game, which likely means he will see more playing time in the following contests, or if this is something off the court.

• Gonzaga’s guards need to do a better job of sliding over and contesting shots. There were too many times tonight where driving Cougars got to the rim with no trouble.

The Zags head to Maui to play in the Maui Invitational, which will start on Tuesday night when Gonzaga takes on Dayton.