Not as easy as 1-2-3: Gonzaga trying to find the range from behind the 3-point line

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Dec. 12—Gonzaga has a love-hate relationship with the 3-point line.

The eighth-ranked Zags were on target early with their top two 3-point shooting percentages (41.9 vs. Baylor and 45.5 vs. UMass Lowell) in the first three games.

The last month has been rough. In the Zags’ last six games, they’ve made just 29.8%, dropping their overall percentage to 33.7%. That puts Gonzaga in record-low territory. Since 1987, GU’s lowest shooting percentage was 35.3 in 2010 and the next lowest was 35.7 in 1997.

Gonzaga, which doesn’t rely on 3-pointers as much as most programs, ranks in the mid-180s out of 355 Division 1 teams in made 3s per game (7.8), attempted 3s (23.1) and accuracy (33.7%).

Now the good news. Gonzaga’s 3-point defense, long a bone of contention for some fans, is third nationally at 24.9%. San Diego State connected on 32%, West Virginia 31.4% and Arizona State 31%, representing the three highest percentages against the Zags. To put that into perspective, GU allowed 36.1% last season and 34.9% in 2023.

“Obviously, we have a group of guys that do shoot it well, that have all made a significant amount of 3s in their careers, including rotational players,” Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson said. “We started out shooting really well. I’d say we’ve been a little more up and down lately.

“We made some early (vs. Kentucky on Saturday) and then missed a crazy amount in a row (12). Unfortunately, that will happen, but we hit a few more down the stretch. The fact that we have good shooters that have made a bunch versus a team that hasn’t made them and goes on a bad streak, there’s a difference there.”

Gonzaga’s 90-89 overtime loss to Kentucky was a microcosm of the season . Khalif Battle hit a 3-pointer in the first 45 seconds to snap a personal 0-of-12 stretch, but the Zags made just 3 of 12 in the first half and missed all nine attempts in the second half as Kentucky rallied from an 18-point deficit.

GU made its last three from distance in overtime to rally within one point,…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/not-easy-1-2-3-030200890.html

Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Publish date : 2024-12-13 03:02:00

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