Tyon Grant-Foster’s six late points help Gonzaga reach finish line against USF | Three takeaways

Three takeaways at the buzzer from No. 8 Gonzaga’s 68-66 win over San Francisco on Saturday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Grant-Foster comes up clutch

Tyon Grant-Foster came through when Gonzaga needed it the most.

The Zags’ 14-point second-half lead melted to 61-57 when Grant-Foster scored on a layup with 3:36 remaining while being fouled. He missed the free throw but responded with a huge corner 3-pointer just inside the 2-minute mark, giving GU a seemingly comfortable 10-point lead.

The Dons roared back within two – Gonzaga’s lone point in the final 1:59 was a Grant-Foster free throw – but Junjie Wang’s wing 3-pointer banked too hard off the rim and time ran out as GU corralled the rebound to hang on 68-66.

Grant-Foster scored 19 points and grabbed four rebounds. He made 6 of 12 shots.

Defense mostly on point

Gonzaga’s defense, save for its coverage behind the 3-point line, was otherwise strong. That’s been the case in four straight games without Braden Huff (left knee) and the last three minus Graham Ike (ankle).

The Zags kept USF off the scoreboard for the first 7-plus minutes of the contest. The defense also kept them on top when the offense endured a couple of second-half dry spells.

Dons’ leading scorer Ryan Beasley came up empty on a long 3-point attempt and against on layup attempt that two Zags contested at the rim. USF missed eight straight shots down the stretch before hitting three 3-pointers in the final 1:42 to nearly pull off the comeback.

Gonzaga gave up 14 3-pointers on 28 attempts, which kept USF within striking distance throughout.

GU has held its last four opponents well below their season scoring average. Washington State, which nailed 13 3-pointers against the Zags, tallied 65 points. The Cougars average 76.6 points.

Seattle U managed just 50 points, more than 24 points under their season average. Pepperdine, which averages just under 70 points, scored 60.

San Francisco came in averaging 71.1 but finished with 66, thanks to a late flurry of 3s.

Early kill shot

Gonzaga leads the nation in ‘kill shots’ (scoring runs of at least 10-0), but they usually don’t come right after the opening tip. The Zags rattled off the first 12 points against the Dons before Tyron Riley IV connected on a 3-pointer with 12:40 left in the half.

The early spurt set the tone for most of the game. Gonzaga led by 11 at half and by 12, 53-41, after Davis Fogle’s 3-pointer when USF switched to a zone defense. The Dons got as close as two in the final 30 seconds but the Zags weathered the storm.

GU has 31 kill shots in 22 games. The Zags also are first in Division I with nine runs of at least 15-0 (Houston is second with six) and four of at least 20-0 (Purdue is second with three).