Recap and highlights: Julian Strawther makes 3-pointer in final seconds to lift Gonzaga over BYU 75-74
PROVO, Utah – As Julian Strawther made a go-ahead 3-pointer in the closing seconds to lift Gonzaga over Brigham Young, the sold-out crowd at the Marriott Center hushed to a stunned silence.
BYU held a four-point lead and possession with a minute remaining. It dominated the second half with a spree of outside shooting and built a double-digit lead. Yet, for the third time in as many games, Gonzaga came out on top of a chaotic finish.
The question seemingly lingering on the minds of everyone in attendance: “How can they keep getting away with this.”
Strawther’s basket sent Gonzaga to a 75-74 win over BYU, despite trailing for almost all of the final 10 minutes.
Strawther collected a missed free throw and dribbled the length of the court, before pulling up at the top of the 3-point line for the winning shot. He, Nolan Hickman and Hunter Sallis all made 3s in the final two minutes. Gonzaga went 3-for-14 from beyond-the-arc in the previous 38 minutes.
The No. 8 Bulldogs (15-3, 4-0 West Coast) won their 10th straight game. For most of it, they relied on their frontcourt.
Drew Timme scored a game-high 21 points and had 13 rebounds. Anton Watson had 16 and Ben Gregg added 10.
The Zags took a five-point lead into halftime, but went cold in the second half, shooting just 34% from the field.
The Cougars (13-7, 3-2) took advantage, making 7 of their first 10 3-point attempts in the second half.
Still, Gonzaga found a way and has won its last three WCC games by a combined eight points.
The Zags host Portland on Saturday at 7 p.m.
ESPN / Youtube
First half
19:20 – GU 2, BYU 0: Cougars miss their first shot from the floor and Timme comes down the other end and drops a hook shot in to open the scoring.
15:46 – GU 9, BYU 8: Both teams making shots at the first media timeout.
Watson and Timme doing all the scoring for the Zags with five and four points, respectively.
Hickman called for a foul ahead of the break.
11:40 – GU 19, BYU 19: Cougars jump into the lead, scoring 14 of their 19 points in the paints, but the Zags cut it back to tie at the U12 media timeout.
Huge 4 minutes off the bench for GU’s Gregg, who scores six points with three offensive rebounds, one assist and a steal.
7:59 – GU 31, BYU 27: Watson up to 12 points on 5 of 5 shooting. Zags shootign 62% from the field for a narrow lead.
BYU shooting 58% and is 3-for-5 on 3-pointers.
3:22 – GU 42, BYU 35: Zags extend their lead to seven at the U4 media timeout.
This one has been all about the Zags’ bigs, with Watson, Timme and Gregg combining for 30 points.
Johnson leads BYU with 10 points.
Halftime
Gonzaga leaned on its frontcourt to take a 44-39 lead over BYU into halftime in front of a sold-out crowd at the Merriott Center in Provo, Utah.
Anton Watson has a team-high 14 points and has made all six attempts from the field, while Drew Timme added 10, while making 5 of 7 attempts.
The Zags bench contributed 15 points, while the two starting guards, Nolan Hickman and Rasir Bolton went scoreless in the half.
Ben Gregg scored six points in eight minutes to go with five rebounds, one assist and a steal.
BYU kept it close by shooting 53.6% from the field and converting 5 of 9 3-point attempts.
Second half
15:41 – GU 46, BYU 42: Not much scoring in the second half, as Timme makes his first attempt and the Zags go cold, missing their next eight.
BYU’s lone basket came on a 3-pointer from Robinson.
12:47 – GU 52, BYU 51: The Cougars briefly tie the score at 48, before Gregg scores back-to-back baskets to regain the lead and BYU answers with a 3-pointer. Few calls a timeout.
Gregg has 10 points. BYU is 9-for-15 on 3-pointers.
8:03 – BYU 63, GU 56: Cougars in control now, going 6-for-9 on 3-pointers in the second half, while the Zags have gone ice cold.
Gonzaga 5 of 21 from the field in the second half, as Few calls for a timeout. BYU leads the second half 24-12.
3:43 – BYU 68, GU 63: Timme gets a dunk and the Cougars turn it over at the other end leading to the U4 media timeout.
Timme has 10 of the Zags’ 19 points in the second half, trying to will them to victory down the stretch.
The Cougars hot shooting has cooled over the last 3 minutes, just 1 of their last 6 from the field.
1:21 – BYU 73, GU 69: Sallis makes a cruicial 3-pointer for Gonzaga, but George answers with a 3 of his own for the Cougars, who call for a timeout after the make.
36.8 – BYU 73, GU 72: Big mistake by the Cougars, who turn it over and surrender a wide-open 3-pointer from Hickman.
The 3 was Hickman’s first made field goal of the game.
9.5 – GU 75, BYU 74: Strawther makes a 3-pointer to give the Zags the lead.
Bulldogs close to eking out another conference win.
Starting 5
Programing update
Tipoff has been pushed back to 6:40 p.m. The ESPN broadcast will begin at the conclusion of the Detroit-Toronto hockey game.
Pregame
Gonzaga and Brigham Young’s short-lived West Coast Conference rivalry is coming to an end with the Cougars leaving for the Big 12 Conference after this season.
That may come as a welcome sight for BYU, which has dropped 11 of the last 12 meetings to the Zags.
The Cougars will look to get one back on the Bulldogs at the Merriott Center in Provo, Utah tonight. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Gonzaga (14-3, 3-0 WCC) earn a pair of hard-fought victories on the road last week, beating San Francisco 77-75 and Santa Clara 81-76, extending its win streak to nine games.
BYU (13-6, 3-1) split its WCC games last week, losing at Loyola Marymount 64-59 and beating San Diego on the road 68-48.
Series history
Gonzaga holds a 22-7 all-time record over Brigham Young. The Zags have dominated the series in recent years, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings. GU has an 8-3 record in Provo, Utah.
Team stats
Individual leaders
Game preview
More on the Zags