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Zags fall to Memphis for fourth straight year

Feb. 7, 2009 10:39 p.m. • 13 comments

Back with the game story from Gonzaga’s 68-50 pratfall against Memphis in front of 11,339 at the Arena and a national television audience on ESPN.

Read on for the unedited article below and check back for a day-after post on Sunday.

By Jim Meehan

Staff writer

Memphis coach John Calipari watched the final seconds tick away and shook hands with Gonzaga counterpart Mark Few in front of the scorer’s table.

“As good as we can play,” Calipari offered.

The Bulldogs couldn’t come close to saying the same. The 14^th-ranked Tigers dominated No. 18 Gonzaga in every way possible, leading by as many as 26 en route to a 68-50 men’s basketball victory Saturday in front of 11,339 at the Arena.

Gonzaga’s nine-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt. The Bulldogs (17-5) were limited to their lowest point total of the season (by 14) and suffered their second worst shooting performance (36.7).

It was Gonzaga’s most lopsided loss in Spokane since an 80-56 setback to Pepperdine in Feb., 1991.

“They got us in every phase,” Few said. “They just played a lot harder and a lot tougher than us. You better match their energy and intensity or else. Obviously they’re quite a bit more athletic than us. You have to fight them a little better than that.”

The expected showdown of teams that rule their respective conferences never materialized. Gonzaga had eight field goals and 11 turnovers – four by Jeremy Pargo in a two-minute, 30-second stretch – while falling behind 40-23 at half. Gonzaga’s biggest deficit this season had been 15 in the January matchup with Tennessee.

It got worse before it got better. The Tigers stifled Gonzaga’ primary offensive weapons, dominated the glass and led 60-34 with 8:44 remaining. At that point, Few benched starters Pargo, Austin Daye and Matt Bouldin, who didn’t score his first point until eight minutes had elapsed in the second half.

“It was time to look at somebody else,” Few said. “The starters weren’t doing anything.”

With Demetri Goodson, Ira Brown, Josh Heytvelt, Steven Gray and Micah Downs on the floor, Gonzaga scored 13 unanswered points. The Bulldogs closed within 12 on Brown’s three-point play with 1:26 left, but the Tigers made their last six free throws.

Point guard Tyreke Evans had 22 points to lead Memphis (20-3) to its 14 consecutive win, the second longest streak in the nation. The Tigers have defeated Gonzaga four straight years.

“They were just pressuring us,” said Daye, who scored six points. “We’re probably one of the best teams at taking care of the ball the last two years and we just didn’t do it. We were really sloppy. I mean, when’s the last time we scored 50 points?”

The Zags scored 52 against Santa Clara in the WCC Tournament last year and 47 in a loss to Washington State.

“We should never have a problem running our sets,” said Bouldin, who was shut down by 6-foot-6 senior Antonio Anderson. “They just forced us out of everything because they played harder.”

Memphis forward Robert Dozier had 18 points and 10 rebounds. He also limited Daye to his second lowest scoring game of the season.

“We scouted him,” Dozier said. “He had a history of getting frustrated once guys bump him and play him physical, so I just tried to do that.”

The Tigers outrebounded GU 39-25 and had a 14-2 edge in second-chance points. Evans, a smooth 6-foot-6 freshman who repeatedly penetrated and either scored or found open teammates, also had six rebounds.

The trio of Bouldin, Gray and Pargo combined for 62 points in Thursday’s win over Portland. They had 13 points on 4-of-20 shooting against the Tigers. Downs led GU with 13 points, including 3 of 3 on 3-pointers.

“Evans did a great job at point,” Few said, “and their 4s and 5s just throttled us. We really didn’t have anything we could go to.”

Gonzaga faces Saint Mary’s in Moraga on Thursday.

13 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Skov1 on February 07 at 11:08 p.m.
GU would maybe be .500 in a major confernce…wonder if Few goes to Oregon and GU gets a “big Name” coach….help needed!
RobH on February 07 at 11:52 p.m.
I agree, would hate to see these talented Zags play in a real conference. Might mean the end of the streak. Well if they were in a real conference, the streak would have ended last year.
junurz on February 08 at 7:06 a.m.
Look like the deer with the headlights on, so uncharacteristically like them. The pressure of playing before a home crowd in Spokane and completely being dominated in every phase of the game. Mark, you waited too long to change the outcome and was schooled in coaching adjustments. I’ll admit they were more athletic, but we certainly didn’t help ourselves mentally and that was painfully obvious. Mentally tough went out the door on this one.
MikeSequim on February 08 at 7:56 a.m.
Even Oregon would’ve won last night against the Zags. In fact, anybody could’ve beat the Zags last night.

It’s looking like the last 3 years! Sneak through the WCC and go home in one in the NCAA.

I would like to see this Coaching staff Man-up and get rid of the song “You gotta dance with the one that brung ya” and use the old Fred Astaire song “You’ve been dancing with the same person all night, why don’t we change partners and DANCE?”

One final one! How…..I mean HOW can you not be ready to play Memphis in Spokane?????????????????? If you Die-Hards can’t figure this one out, you should add a course in 101!

Mike, Sequim

Mike, Sequim
AG on February 08 at 9:16 a.m.
That was one of the most pathetic efforts I have ever seen. The crowd brought it, and was quickly subdued by the missed shots, the turnovers, the sad rebounding. They acted like they didn’t know what to do. Calipari took control of the game early, Few would respond, and Memphis would come out with a different look to their D. He and his staff have it down to a Science, and Few and his crew were scrambling the whole game. The excuse of being less athletic is so pathetic. It’s mostly about toughness. So, if we lose to SMU, will we here them say, “well that Memphis game really hurt our confidence”. Wah, Wah!
BrandonHansen on February 08 at 11:04 a.m.
Just heard the Gonzaga hype machine crash and burn. It’s all going to be “what have you done for me now.” Hopefully people wont have so many expectations going into the postseason and the Zags can fit back into their familair underdog role.

Brandon Hansen
Just South of North
www.justsouthofnorth.com
DonCulebra on February 09 at 7:32 p.m.
Before Saturday night, I thought that the Memphis game would be the defining game for the season. I was wrong. The game against St. Mary’s in Moraga is the defining game, because the Zags will either show or fail to show that they are mentally tough enough to bounce back from the Memphis carnage. At mass on Sunday, the priest noted four factors that are essential to a solid marriage. Two of them apply to the Zags: deep and abiding respect for one another, and an extremely short memory. If the Zags can put the Memphis game behind them, and continue to have faith in one another, they will win Thursday night. If they’re still thinking about Memphis on Thursday, it could be a long night in Moraga.