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Gonzaga Basketball

Recap and highlights: No. 1 Gonzaga beats LMU, 86-69, finishes undefeated

Corey Kispert scored 24 points to lead No. 1 Gonzaga to an 86-69 win over Loyola Marymount and an undefeated regular season on Senior Night at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane.

This is the first regular season Gonzaga (24-0, 15-0 WCC) has finished without a loss.

Kispert, a senior from Edmonds, Washington, playing in his final game in the Kennel, made six 3-pointers for the Zags.

Gonzaga center Drew Timme had 16 points and seven rebounds. Joel Ayayi scored 13 points, Jalen Suggs had 12 points and seven assists and Anton Watson chipped-in 11 points for the Bulldogs.

Eli Scott led LMU (12-8, 7-5) with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Mattias Markusson had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Lions.

LMU jumped out to a 20-15 lead midway through the first half, but the Zags rallied and went on a 13-3 run to take a 5-point lead. After LMU scored the next four points, Gonzaga went on a 9-3 burst to close the half with a 40-30 lead.

A 14-2 GU run early in the second half put the Bulldogs firmly in control.

Gonzaga senior Aaron Cook got the start and finished with three points and two steals in 11 minutes. 

Gonzaga has not lost to LMU (18-0) in McCarthey Athletic Center. The last Lions win in Spokane was on Feb. 7, 1991. GU coach Mark Few is 45-3 vs. LMU.

The Zags have won a program-record 51 straight at home.

Gonzaga’s next game will be in the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas.

Gonzaga Bulldogs / YouTube

First half

16:14 – LMU 6, Gonzaga 5: The Lions lead at the first media timeout behind four points from Eli Scott.

LMU is shooting 75% and outrebounding the Bulldogs 3-0.

Gonzaga is led by Drew Timme’s three points. Jalen Suggs has two.

11:54 – LMU 12, Gonzaga 10: Mattias Markusson has six points and the Lions continue to lead the No. 1 Zags.

The LMU 7-footer is 2-of-2 shooting and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line.

Drew Timme and Corey Kispert each have three points for Gonzaga.

LMU is outrebounding the Zags 7-1. The Lions have three offensive rebounds and four second-chance points.

7:58 – LMU 20, Gonzaga 19: The Lions are giving the Bulldogs all they can handle at the under-8 timeout.

LMU has a 10-2 rebounding advantag.

Mattias Markusson leads the Lions with eight points.

Drew Timme leads Gonzaga with eight points on 2-of-3 shooting. He is 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.

Corey Kispert, Gonzaga’s leading scorer, has three points on just one shot attempt.

3:37 – Gonzaga 28, LMU 27: Bulldogs lead by one after a 13-3 run turned around a 5-point deficit.

Drew Timme leads Gonzaga with 11 points.

Joel Ayayi connected on transition 3 to put the Zags up 5.

LMU is facing foul trouble inside. Starting forward Keli Leaupepe has three fouls and starting center Mattias Markusson has two.

Halftime

Gonzaga 40, LMU 30: Drew Timme has 11 points and the No. 1 Bulldogs used two big runs to take a 10-point lead over the Lions at halftime.

Facing a 20-15 deficit midway through the half, the Zags went on a 13-3 run to take a 5-point lead. After LMU scored the next four points, Gonzaga went on a 9-3 burst to close the half.

Timme is 3-of-6 shooting and 5 of 9 from the free-throw line. He also has team-highs with three rebounds and four assists.

Corey Kispert and Joel Ayayi each have nine points for Gonzaga. Jalen Suggs has added five points.

Mattias Markusson leads LMU with 14 points on 6 of 6 shooting.

The Lions are shooting 52.2% but have turned the ball over 13 times. Gonzaga has scored 17 points off those turnovers.

LMU is outrebounding the Zags 17-7. 

The Lions are facing foul trouble inside. Starting forward Keli Leaupepe has three fouls and Markusson, the starting center, has two.

Gonzaga was 8 of 15 from the free-throw line in the half as LMU committed 12 fouls. The Lions went 4 of 7 from the line.

Gonzaga shot 58.3% from the field and was 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Kispert was 3 of 4 from 3.

Second half

15:02 – Gonzaga 52, LMU 40: The Bulldogs lead by 12 behind Corey Kispert and Drew Timme, who have 13 points each.

Jalen Suggs made a nice steal and turned it into an assist to Timme.

Anton Watson has six points for GU.

11:02 – Gonzaga 60, LMU 46: Jalen Suggs is up to 10 points and five assists and the Bulldogs still lead by double digits.

Corey Kispert leads GU with 16 points. Drew Timme and Joel Ayayi each have 13.

Mattias Markusson has 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting for LMU. Eli Scott has added 13 points.

LMU has turned the ball over 17 times.

9:11 – Gonzaga 67, LMU 46: The Zags rip off a 7-0 run and now lead by 21.

Corey Kispert made another 3-pointer during the run, his fifth of the game. He has 19 points.

3:00 – Gonzaga 82, LMU 59: Corey Kispert has 24 points and the Zags are 3 minutes away from an undefeated regular season.

Starting 5

Pregame

Individual leaders

POINTS PPG FG% FT%
Eli Scott (LMU) 17.5 48.1 69.5
Corey Kispert (GU) 19.3 55.8 88.0
REBOUNDS RPG DRPG ORPG
Eli Scott (LMU) 7.7 5.7 2.3
Joel Ayayi (GU) 7.1 5.5 1.6
ASSISTS APG TOPG MPG
Eli Scott (LMU) 3.7 3.7 35.1
Andrew Nembhard (GU) 4.5 1.3 27.9

Team stats

  LMU Gonzaga
Points 70.7 93.2
Points allowed 68.0 69.3
Field goal pct. 45.4 55.2
Rebounds 35.7 38.5
Assists 13.2 18.8
Blocks 2.8 3.1
Steals 4.7 8.6
Streak Won 1 Won 23

Game preview