Zags Get Act Together, Hold Off Griz

Call it taking care of business.

When it mattered most, Gonzaga University took care of the basketball, and converted crucial free throws to hold off the University of Montana Grizzlies 87-80 Friday night in Dahlberg Arena in non-conference men’s basketball.

The Bulldogs (8-2), who saw a 13-point first-half lead evaporate into a four-point halftime deficit, made adjustments at intermission that cooled off the Grizzlies.

“We only had a couple of stretches the first half where we played good defense and good offense together,” said Bulldogs coach Dan Monson.

Eight first-half turnovers, he noted, were turned into fast-break baskets by the Grizzlies.

“We took care of the ball better the second half,” Monson said, noting GU committed just three turnovers, “and our defense got our break going and we got some fastbreak baskets.”

Montana (4-6) made the first basket of the second half to go up 45-39, but sparked by Matt Santangelo and Bakari Hendrix, the Bulldogs went on a 12-0 run for a 51-45 lead.

It was close from there until an Axel Dench jumper at 12:20 broke a 56-56 tie. Gonzaga wouldn’t lose the lead, building its margin to 11 points on three occasions, but the Grizzlies wouldn’t go away, either.

Helped by the Bulldogs’ inconsistency at the free-throw line, the Grizzlies were within four (76-72) with less than 3 minutes to play.

But the Bulldogs, who were 9 of 18 from the free-throw line at that point, missing their previous four, nailed their last six - two each by Santangelo, Quinten Hall and Hendrix - to dispel the Grizzlies.

“It was a great team win,” said Monson. “Here there are so many distractions… . I’m pleased the way they (Bulldogs) solved some things and hung together after we had the big lead and lost it. They got frazzled there for a while.”

Santangelo finished with a game-high 26 points and seven assists and Hendrix added 21 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Santangelo scored six points in a 15-3 Gonzaga run that gave them a 70-59 lead with 6:42 to play.

J.R. Camel had a career-high 21 points and 12 assists to lead Montana, which used a 16-0 first-half run to charge from 35-22 down to 43-39 up.

But after shooting 70 percent from the field the first half, the Grizzlies made 37 percent the second.

Gonzaga 87, Montana 80

Gonzaga (8-2) - Leasure 2-2 0-0 6, Hendrix 8-19 5-7 21, Dench 5-7 0-1 11, Santangelo 9-14 6-8 26, Frahm 3-9 1-2 8, Hall 3-7 2-4 10, Floyd 0-1 0-0 0, Nilson 0-0 0-0 0, Calvary 1-1 0-0 2, Griffin 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 32-61 15-24 87.

Montana (4-6) - Buckmaster 3-5 0-0 9, Dick 4-5 1-2 9, Olson 3-11 2-2 8, Camel 7-12 7-10 21, Seidensticker 5-9 0-0 12, Bowie 4-9 0-0 10, Warhank 2-5 2-2 7, Christiaens 2-3 0-0 4, Carter 0-2 0-1 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-61 12-17 80.

Halftime-Montana 43, Gonzaga 39. 3-point goals-Gonzaga 8-19 (Leasure 2-2, Santangelo 2-4, Hall 2-5, Dench 1-2, Frahm 1-5, Floyd 0-1), Montana 8-18 (Buckmaster 3-4, Seidensticker 2-3, Bowie 2-5, Warhank 1-3, Christiaens 0-1, Olson 0-2). Rebounds- Gonzaga 32 (Hendrix 8), Montana 38 (Buckmaster, Bowie 6). Assists-Gonzaga 22 (Santangelo 7), Montana 18 (Camel 12). Total fouls-Gonzaga 18, Montana 18. A-4,417.

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