Arizona Overpowers Gonzaga to end the Zags season
By Josh Horton
Mar 23, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs center Przemek Karnowski (24) walks off the court after losing to Arizona Wildcats in a men
The season for the Gonzaga Bulldogs abruptly came to a close when the Arizona Wildcats defeated the Zags in impressive fashion. The final score ended up being 84 to 61, with the Bulldogs only lead coming at the 19:45 mark in the first half.
Turnovers were a big issue for the Bulldogs, as they finished with 21 of them. Part of that has to do with Arizona’s swarming defense, the other part was the Bulldogs lack of ball security. In comparison, the Wildcats had only six. David Stockton led the team in turnovers with six, as much as the whole Arizona team combined. Pangos and Dower had four a piece respectively.
Przemek Karnowski led the team in scoring and rebounding with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Pangos and David Stockton were the only other to finish in double figures with 12 and 10 points. David Stockton’s six assists led the team.
Five Wildcats scored in double figures today, those being Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson, T.J. McConnel and Gabe York – the whole Arizona starting five. Hollis-Jefferson and Gordon ended the game with 18 points apiece to lead the way. Johnson had 17, McConnel had 12 and York had 11 points. McConnel and Gordon led the Wildcats in assists with six apiece. Gordon had six rebounds as well to lead Arizona in that category.
Ultimately, it was Arizona’s size, length and athleticism that was too much for the Bulldogs to handle. The Wildcats dictated the pace of play and forced Gonzaga to play out of its comfort zone. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs could not adapt and Arizona consequently ran away with the game.
With the loss, Gonzaga’s season is over. On the bright side, the Bulldogs, bring back Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell Jr., Przemek Karnowski, Kyle Dranginis, Gerard Coleman, and Angel Nunez, bring in high impact transfer Kyle Wiltjer, and a loaded 2014 recruiting class. The future is bright for the Zags.