‘Throw the record out the window’: Gonzaga coach Mark Few wary of underdog Tigers

[ad_1]

Feb. 7—STOCKTON, Calif. — Thursday’s 73-53 win over Loyola Marymount was a split decision for the mood of Gonzaga followers who witnessed the team’s impressive 5-0 start to the season and the bumpy 12-7 mark over the past two-plus months.

The game was a microcosm of GU’s inconsistencies thus far and the final score wasn’t indicative of the choppy first 30 minutes.

The Bulldogs were smooth early, scoring on their first six possessions. Then they lost their way on offense and trailed near the midpoint of the second half. They recovered with 10 quality minutes to put away the Lions. Essentially up, down and up on a bar graph.

Perhaps more of the same is in store Saturday when Gonzaga visits Pacific at the Spanos Center, where the Zags have been tested frequently by sub-.500 Tigers teams over the years.

“Throw the record out the window,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “I’ve taken at least two No. 1-ranked teams there and we’ve been down at halftime, and many other games we’ve eked out in the last three to four minutes. We’re expecting the same.”

Few’s Spanos Center memories are pretty much spot on. The 2021 Zags, who were unbeaten before losing to Baylor in the national title game, trailed by one at half and by one with 12:15 remaining before responding for a 76-58 win. The 2017 Zags, who also reached the championship game, were down by eight in the second half before rallying for a 20-point win.

GU’s last two teams dug out nine-point wins after being down or tied at half. Drew Timme scored 24 of his career-high 38 points in the second half in a 99-90 win two years ago.

Add in the fact that Pacific is under the guidance of first-year head coach Dave Smart and the Zags enter with some unknowns about the Tigers and themselves. Smart was enormously successful at Carleton University in Ontario, Canada, before assisting at Texas Tech last season.

Smart has close ties to GU senior point guard Ryan Nembhard and several former Zags from Canada.

“He did a great job up there (in Canada) over…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/throw-record-window-gonzaga-coach-030300199.html

Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Publish date : 2025-02-08 03:03:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.