Difference makers: Joel Ayayi’s double-double lifts Gonzaga to 30-point win over Northern Arizona

Joel Ayayi

Ayayi was aggressive from the opening tip. He scored the game’s first five points and connected on three of his four 3-pointers in the first half. The junior guard had 14 points and nine rebounds as the Zags built a 28-point lead at halftime. He finished with 17 points and 10 boards in just 20 minutes.

Andrew Nembhard

Starting in place of Jalen Suggs (leg injury), Nembhard had a pair of 3-pointers, 10 points and three assists in the opening half. He finished with 10 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. Nembhard also did a nice job defensively on NAU’s top scorer Cameron Shelton.

Turning point

For the second straight game, it was basically the opening tip. Gonzaga led 10-0 before NAU cracked the scoreboard. It was 17-2 after Drew Timme’s putback and 24-5 after Corey Kispert’s layup. Gonzaga led by as many as 38 points.