Gonzaga Struggles Mightily Against Kansas State, Fall to the Wildcats 72-62

Nov 25, 2013; Maui, HI, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Barham (43) takes a shot against Dayton Flyers forward Kendall Pollard (22) during the first round of the Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The high powered Gonzaga offense ran into the stout defense of Kansas State, and the latter pulled through with the Kansas State Wildcats defeating the Zags by a score of 72-62.

Gonzaga was able to exchange leads with Kansas State in the early part of the second half, but Kansas State pulled ahead in the last 8 minutes of the game due to a 21-10 run.

The Bulldogs struggled all-game long with the Wildcats physicality and firm defense. Gonzaga’s bevy of three-point shooters could not consistently find good looks, and the ball simply just did not go through the basket. Gonzaga made only 7 of the 21 three-pointers it took on the afternoon.

Drew Barham was the Bulldogs leading scorer today with 13. Pangos was not far behind with 12 points, and Stockton and Karnowski were the other players to finish in double-digits with 10.

The rebounding efforts were led by Przemek Karnowski and Kyle Dranginis, who finished with 7 and 6 boards respectively.

Kevin Pangos’s 6 dimes was a team high.

For Kansas State, the Wildcats were paced by Thomas Gipson and Marcus Foster, who scored 6 each. Foster also led the rebounding efforts along with D.J. Williams grabbing 6 boards each. Shane Southwell’s 6 assists led all Kansas State passers.

The difference in turnovers between the two teams really was detrimental to the Bulldogs. The Zags 11 turnovers compared to Kansas State’s 4 was a telling statistic to the outcome of this game.

Keys to the Game Checklist

Something has to give – X

Although the Bulldogs shot better than the average Kansas State opponent from 3, they did not shoot it as well as they usually do from down town. The Zags 33.3 percentage from behind the arc was not enough to propel them past the Wildcats.

Breakout game for the Polish Hammer – X

Karnowski was a non-factor in this game, scoring 10 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Despite K-State’s Gipson being 6 inches shorter than Karnowski, he repeatedly stole boards from the Polish native. This was not his best effort today.

The Bottom Line

Gonzaga was out played tonight, plain and simple.

Here are some game notes from tonight in bullet form:

• Samuel Dower Jr. left the game in the first half with a hip bruise. He did not return. The term “hip bruise” does not do justice to how hurt Dower looked. He was grimacing in pain and could barely put any weight on his right leg. His absence in the second half was disadvantageous to the Zags chances of pulling out a victory.
• Angel Nunez recorded a DNP in his first game eligible as a Gonzaga Bulldog. When Dower went down with an injury, Few elected to play Barham and Meikle, as well as a four-guard lineup over Nunez.