Aussie Gives Parents Show, Sparks Gonzaga Past Loyola Dench’s Career Game Opens Door To 71-60 Wcc Victory

Roger and Janet Dench might want to tip their travel agent when they return next week to their home in Melbourne, Australia.

After spending the last 22 days touring the East Coast and making stops in Montreal and New Orleans, the couple arrived in Spokane this week - just in time to watch their son, Axel, put together a career game in Gonzaga’s 71-60 win over Loyola Marymount on Thursday night.

“They saved the best stop for last,” Axel Dench said after treating his parents and a Martin Centre crowd of 3,211 to an 18-point, 18-rebound performance that helped the Bulldogs snap a two-game skid and raise their record to 10-7 overall and 3-2 in the West Coast Conference.

Dench, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound firsti-year freshman, played all 40 minutes and established career highs in both points and rebounds. A quick check of GU records showed his 18 boards were the most by a Bulldog since at least 1980.

They also helped GU to a ridiculous 56-32 rebounding edge.

“Dench just had a phenomenal game,” LMU coach John Olive said after watching his Lions fall to 5-12 and 2-3. “With young kids, sometimes they’re there and sometimes they’re not quite so much there.

“But he was there from the beginning tonight.”

Dench scored 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the first half as GU opened a 35-24 lead. And he was there with a couple of big boards in the final minutes when the Bulldogs were frantically holding off an LMU comeback that sliced their 18-point lead to 64-56 with just more than 3 minutes remaining.

After the game, GU coach Dan Fitzgerald was searching for a way to keep Dench’s parents from leaving, as planned, on Sunday. “Maybe we can get them green cards so they can stay in the stands,” he said.

To which Dench answered, “I hope they weren’t the only reason I played well.”

As it turned out, Dench had plenty of help in turning back the Lions.

Freshman guard Matt Santangelo matched his 18 points and did a solid defensive job on LMU senior point guard Jim Williamson before fouling out with 5:12 left.

The Bulldogs were up 62-47 when Santangelo picked up two quick fouls and departed. And the 5-10 Williamson, who finished with a game-high 25 points by making some tough shots - including five 3-pointers - took advantage of some additional floor space to score nine in Santangelo’s absence.

“He did a good defensive job,” Olive said. “Santangelo’s a good, young player, and he’s going to be an all-star in this league before it’s all said and done.”

Lorenzo Rollins, despite making only 4 of 16 from the field, finished with 12 points for GU, as did Mike Leasure. Bakari Hendrix added eight, despite picking up two early fouls and playing only 4 minutes in the first half.

Fitzgerald said he was not surprised by LMU’s comeback, which had the Lions within 67-60 with just more than a minute remaining.

“I haven’t done this for 30 years and not learned that it isn’t over against a team like this,” he said. “We sensed it. We knew they would come at us, and they’re really dangerous because of (Williamson).

“We’re surviving, but we’ve still got to learn to play 40 minutes.”

The Bulldogs will close their two-game homestand Sunday with a 5 p.m. matchup against Pepperdine. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Northwest.

Gonzaga 71, Loyola Marymount 60

Loyola Marymount (5-12) - Daniels 0-3 2-2 2, Williamson 7-16 6-6 25, Hotopp 3-12 3-6 9, Kennedy 3-12 4-6 11, Anthony 0-1 0-2 0, AMmerman 2-5 0-3 4, Cornell 1-4 3-5 5, Jones 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 18-57 18-30 60.

Gonzaga (10-7) - Santangelo 7-10 3-4 18, Rollins 4-16 4-4 12, Dench 5-12 8-12 18, Leasure 4-10 1-2 12, Hendrix 2-7 4-4 8, Eaton 0-2 0-0 0, Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Nemeth 0-0 3-4 3, Frahm 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-60 23-30 71.

Halftime-Gonzaga 35, Loyola Marymount 24. 3-Point goals- Loyola Marymount 6-18 (Daniels 0-2, Williamson 5-9, Hotopp 0-1, Kennedy 1-5, Ammerman 0-1), Gonzaga 4-17 (Santangelo 1-3, Rollins 0-6, Leasure 3-5, Williams 0-2, Frahm 0-1). Fouled out-Daniels, Anthony, Santangelo. Rebounds-Loyola Marymount 32 (Hotopp 11), Gonzaga 56 (Dench 18). Assists-Loyola Marymount 9 (Daniels 6), Gonzaga 10 (Santangelo, Leasure 3). Total fouls-Loyola Marymount 23, Gonzaga 22. A-3,211.

, DataTimes