Will third time be the charm for Gonzaga at the Battle 4 Atlantis?
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Gonzaga, under coach Mark Few, has won three-game holiday tournaments twice in Maui and three times in Orlando, Florida.
The Zags have claimed two-game tourney titles in New York City, Fort Myers, Florida, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.
But they haven’t won a championship in an oversized ballroom in the Bahamas. The Zags have had two shots in the Battle 4 Atlantis, coming away with 2-1 records in 2015 (third place) and 2019 (second place) at Imperial Arena.
No. 3 Gonzaga will try to change that, beginning with Wednesday’s opener vs. West Virginia, and enters the eight-team tournament as the favorite.
Gonzaga’s Khalif Battle, a transfer from Arkansas, is also shooting for his first title at the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Razorbacks won their opener, 77-74 in double overtime against Stanford, in last year’s tourney before falling to Memphis 84-79 in the semifinals and losing to No. 14 North Carolina 87-72 in the third-place game.
“I kind of tried to erase last year from my mind being here,” Battle said Tuesday. “We lost, and now I’m in a way better situation, happier here, so just creating new memories. Some of the guys, we walked around the resort and looked at some of the yachts (at Atlantis Marina Village), that was cool – little something to dream about. Just preparing, shooting around … just enjoying it before the games start.”
There’s a lot to see and do on Paradise Island, but Few’s job requirements with three games in three days doesn’t leave much time for sightseeing.
“With our prep and our practices and meetings and events we have to go to, (Monday) was pretty busy,” the coach said. “In the past, it’s been great. My kids and family have been able to come and enjoy the slides, the dolphins and all the great things they have here.”
Here’s GU’s six-game history at the Battle 4 Atlantis:
2015: Gonzaga 80, Washington 64
After a nine-year hiatus in the rivalry, Gonzaga picked up right where it left off against Washington. No. 10 GU led by as many as 19 points in the first half and 24 in the second.
The Zags’ frontcourt of Kyle Wiltjer (24 points, 11 rebounds), Domantas Sabonis (17, nine) and Przemek Karnowski (12, six) dominated against a UW team with four starting freshmen, including Dejounte Murray, a future NBA All-Star.
Murray scored 21 points but was 7 of 19 from the field. GU made 50% of its shots while UW finished at 25.7%.
Texas A&M 62, Gonzaga 61
The No. 25 Aggies pulled out the win despite going the final 8:28 without a field goal. Texas A&M got it done by scoring its last 10 points at the line, including the winner by Danuel House with 1minute, 5 seconds remaining. The Zags finished 4 of 11 at the stripe.
GU led most of the way in a game with 12 ties and seven lead changes. Wiltjer had four 3-pointers and 18 points and Josh Perkins added 15, but missed 4 of 5 free throws. Sabonis fouled out in 18 minutes with four boards and two points.
House had 19 points and Alex Caruso added eight points and three steals. Admon Gilder, who transferred to Gonzaga for his senior year, was scoreless in 11 minutes off the Aggies’ bench.
“We played great defensively and held them to six baskets (in the second half),” Few said. “We just missed a ton of free throws where we could have extended that lead.”
Gonzaga 73, UConn 70
Wiltjer scored 17 points, Eric McClellan 15, Silas Melson 12 and Sabonis added 12 despite being in foul trouble for the second straight game.
Gonzaga’s 21-point lead melted to one before Kyle Dranginis came up with a tip-in and a steal in the final minute to subdue the 18th-ranked Huskies.
“Josh (Perkins) was crashing and my guy had to help box him out,” Dranginis said. “It kind of just bounced to me. That’s what happens when you hustle every time. You’re probably not going to get it every time, but that one out of 10 can make a big difference.”
2019: Gonzaga 94, Southern Miss 69
Corey Kispert snapped out of a shooting slump with seven 3-pointers and 28 points and Joel Ayayi added 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists off the bench.
“You have to trust the work that you put in, trust the hours that you put in, and not change a single thing and you know the ball will eventually start falling for you,” Kispert said.
The eighth-ranked Zags were without Killian Tillie (knee) and Anton Watson left after the first minute with an ankle injury, but they cruised to a 53-32 halftime lead.
Gonzaga 73, Oregon 72 (OT)
Down to a seven-man rotation due to injuries, the Zags clawed back from a four-point overtime deficit. Drew Timme hit a tiebreaking free throw with 20 seconds left and Oregon’s Payton Pritchard missed a contested jumper in the closing seconds.
Filip Petrusev scored 22 points, including four straight to tie it at 70. Kispert added five 3-pointers and 17 points. Pritchard had 17 points but was just 7 of 23 from the field.
“These guys just found enough to make one extra play, even after we lost the lead,” Few said. “They showed a lot of poise and composure.”
Michigan 82, Gonzaga 64
The Zags struggled with a limited rotation in their third game in three days. The unranked Wolverines followed impressive wins over Iowa State and No. 6 North Carolina with a dominant performance in the title game, led by Isaiah Livers’ 21 points and center Jon Teske’s 19 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.
Tillie was the lone Zag in double figures with 20 points. The remaining four starters made just 9 of 33 shots.
“They literally made us pay on every one of our assignments that we screwed up – a switch or we screwed up a coverage,” Few said.