Subplots Dominate Gu Rout Game Lacks Spark, But Rogers, Fitz Keep Blowout Interesting

Yes, the score finished up a lopsided 90-65 in favor of Gonzaga.

But the GU men’s non-conference basketball win over Western Montana was not entirely devoid of drama.

For instance, fans might have wondered:

Whether the East wall of the Martin Centre would remain standing following Paul Rogers’ gym-quaking dunk early in the second half?

Whether coach Dan Fitzgerald’s heavy substitution (10 players getting 10 minutes or more) would be enough to keep the Bulldogs’ final total out of triple digits?

Whether Fitzgerald, his leg in a brace to protect a broken kneecap suffered in a jogging mishap, could convalesce calmly on the bench without incurring further damage from an instinctive leap at an official?

The answer was yes to all three.

Otherwise, this game - played in front of 2,577 - followed a predictable pattern, with the taller, more physical and talented Bulldogs controlling every aspect of the contest.

Fitzgerald didn’t waste many pronouns or articles in his initial analysis of the game: “In spots pretty good … used the game pretty good … maybe didn’t break momentum … played pretty crisp in the second half,” he said.

Perhaps adding to the degree of difficulty for GU was the fact that this capped the end of finals week, and frequently it can be a tough transition from hitting the books to hitting the boards.

But GU shot 55.4 percent to WMC’s 38.6 and outscored the winless NAIA visitors 22-5 from the freethrow line.

“In some ways, it makes it hard for us to improve as a team,” GU guard Jon Kinloch said of the obvious mismatch. “It’s pretty inevitable that we’re going to win, so it becomes a matter of whether we’re going to improve or whether we’re going to take a step back.

“In the first half, we played without much emotion, but in the first 5 minutes of the second half, we started playing the way we can,” said Kinloch, who hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range and had 20 points.

Scott Snider continued his stretch of strong performances under the basket for the 4-2 Bulldogs, matching Kinloch’s 20 points (on 10 for 13 shooting) with nine rebounds in only 26 minutes of play.

“Snider just punches the clock every day,” Fitzgerald said of his senior center. “He’s a traditional Gonzaga blue-collar guy and we can’t ever overlook the importance of that. He’s inspiring, he just goes out and plays hard every minute.”

“The offense obviously isn’t going to be designed to work around me,” joked Snider, whose point total was a career-high but whose range doesn’t extend much outside of painted surfaces.

But Snider benefited greatly from the excellent interior passing of the 7-foot Rogers, who finished with four assists and 14 points.

One problem Fitzgerald saw Satur day was the perimeter play of his off-guards. At that spot, Kevin Williams went 1 for 6 and Lorenzo Rollins was 4 for 9.

Gonzaga 90, W. Montana 65

Western Montana (0-8) - Gustin 1-5 0-0 2, Schenk 3-10 2-3 11, Rebsom 2-5 0-0 4, Rice 1-2 0-0 2, Nagel 3-8 0-0 6, Lagerquist 4-7 1-3 10, Ketchum 3-8 0-0 6, Looney 1-3 0-0 2, Swanson 4-7 0-0 10, Reynolds 0-2 2-2 2, Kunz 5-13 0-0 10. Totals 27-70 5-8 65.

Gonzaga (4-2) - Dixon 1-4 1-2 3, Williams 1-6 1-3 4, Snider 10-13 0-0 20, Rogers 3-6 8-10 14, Kinloch 6-8 4-4 20, Rollins 4-9 0-0 9, Leasure 3-4 2-2 8, Ball 1-2 0-0 2, Hendrix 2-3 1-1 5, Bond 0-0 1-1 1, Nemeth 0-1 4-5 4. Totals 31-56 22-28 90.

Halftime-Gonzaga 44, W. Montana 32. 3-Point goals-W. Montana 6-13 (Schenk 3-5, Swanson 2-2, Lagerquist 1-2). Gonzaga 6-15 (Kinloch 4-5, Williams 1-4, Rollins 1-5 Hendrix 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-W. Montana 34 (Kunz 8). Gonzaga 40 (Snider 9). Assists-W. Montana 10 (Gustin 5). Gonzaga 16 (Dixon 5). Total fouls-W. Montana 23, Gonzaga 10. A-2,577.

, DataTimes