Gonzaga-Santa Clara: 3 keys to the Bulldogs’ 98-39 victory over the Broncos
Jan. 24, 2019 Updated Thu., Jan. 24, 2019 at 10:44 p.m.
Key moment
Take your pick from the opening 4-plus minutes of the game. Brandon Clarke’s layup and dunk. Rui Hachimura’s two midrange jumpers. Corey Kispert’s 3-pointer. Throw in some stifling defense and the Zags led 11-0 and were on their way to an easy win.
Offensive MVP
Josh Perkins scored eight straight points in one first-half stretch. The senior point guard finished with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He made two 3-pointers, but often used his driving ability to finish at the rim. Perkins added eight assists and had no turnovers in 26 minutes.
Defensive MVP
Clarke set the tone early, but Zach Norvell Jr. was particularly impressive shutting down Santa Clara’s Trey Wertz. Norvell limited Wertz, who averages 12.2 points, to one bucket in the first half and helped force the 6-foot-5 freshman into three turnovers. Wertz finished with 11 points but committed six turnovers.
Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura (21) and teammate Josh Perkins smile as they sit on the bench at the end of the team’s NCAA college basketball game against Santa Clara on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, in Santa Clara, Calif. Gonzaga won 98-39. (Tony Avelar / AP)
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