Gonzaga-San Francisco: 3 keys to the Bulldogs’ victory over the Dons in the WCC Tournament semifinals
Mon., March 9, 2020
Offensive MVP
Joel Ayayi delivered time after time in the final 4 minutes, scoring eight of his 14 points as Gonzaga held off the Dons. His runner in the lane gave Gonzaga the lead for good, 71-69, and he added six more points down the stretch. Ayayi had 12 of his 14 points in the closing half. He finished 5 of 11 from the field.
Defensive MVP
This wasn’t Gonzaga’s best night defensively. The Dons scored consistently on post-ups inside and with dribble penetration. We’ll give the nod to Corey Kipsert, who had some success on Charles Minlend, who went 0 of 4 from distance, as well on Jordan Ratinho, who finished with just five points.
Key moment
It was tied at 69 when Ayayi went to work. The sophomore guard hit back-to-back baskets to put Gonzaga up by four. He scored eight of GU’s nine points in a 9-2 run that pushed Gonzaga in front 78-72.
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Killian Tillie (33) vies for a loose ball against the San Francisco Dons during the first half of a West Coast Conference semi-final basketball game on Monday, March 9, 2020, at The Orleans in Las Vegas, Nev. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
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