Buzzer breakdown: Ben Gregg has career night, Gonzaga deploys new lineup in rout of Portland

Here are three observations from Gonzaga’s 105-62 West Coast Conference victory over Portland on Saturday at the Chiles Center.
New-look lineup
Mark Few didn’t specify what changes could be in store for Gonzaga after a second consecutive WCC loss last week at Santa Clara, but the first of those became clear when starting lineups were announced seven days later at the Chiles Center.
There were multiple shakeups to the opening unit, with sophomore transfer Emmanuel Innocenti replacing senior transfer Khalif Battle and redshirt sophomore forward Braden Huff starting in place of senior forward and leading scorer Graham Ike.
Innocenti, one of GU’s best on-ball defenders, was effective in 23 minutes, scoring a season-high eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from the 3-point line.
Innocenti also had a season-high five assists to go with two rebounds and one block.
Huff put Gonzaga on the board after collecting his miss on the team’s first possession and finished with 12 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field to go with four rebounds.
Gregg posts giant numbers
Ben Gregg will leave with overwhelmingly positive memories of his last college game in his hometown of Portland.
The fifth-year senior wasted little time getting on the score sheet, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers inside the first four minutes. Gregg didn’t cool off from the 3-point line and turned nearly every scoring opportunity into points, reaching 20 by halftime.
Gregg, who set a career high with 24 points against Davidson in the Battle 4 Atlantis, matched that total in just 17 minutes against Portland, scoring his 23rd and 24th points just two minutes into the second half.
The Clackamas High School product didn’t miss a shot, finishing 10 of 10 from the field and 4 of 4 from the 3-point line. Gregg also had six rebounds, two assists and one steal to go with his 24 points.
Gregg’s 10 made field goals were the most without a miss under 26th-year coach Mark Few. He became the ninth player in WCC history to accomplish the feat.
Step in the right direction
Gonzaga’s defensive numbers hit rock bottom during the team’s past three games – a stretch that saw the Bulldogs yield 103 points to Santa Clara, 97 to Oregon State and allow three consecutive opponents to shoot 53% or better from the field.
Things looked better on that end , albeit while facing a Portland team that came in averaging just 72 points per game and shooting 42% from the field – a number that ranks 10th in the WCC.
The Pilots finished 20 of 58 (34.5%) from the field, making just 38% of their shots from inside the 3-point arc, and committed 15 turnovers.