Good teams are measured against other great teams, which is why no losses feel the same. That’s a lesson No. 7 Gonzaga learned the hard way after dropping a thriller to No. 4 Kentucky.
The Bulldogs came firing in the first half, with Graham Ike scoring 18 of his 28 points in the first half. The Bulldogs led 50-34 at the break, and they were poised to make a statement against a tough opponent.
Then, things went south in the second half. Gongaza missed 12 consecutive three-pointers and struggled to get to the rim. Eventually, the Wildcats got into a 16-2 run and hung on to beat them 90-89 in overtime. Following the loss, senior guard Ryan Nembhard credited his opposition’s adjustments.
Ryan Nembhard discusses Kentucky’s adjustments vs. Gonzaga
“[Kentucky] just changed the matchup [to Jaxson Robinson at point guard], did some couple different things in ball screens but, we missed some good looks from 3,” he said.
When asked whether this game had a postseason feel to it, the veteran point guard, who recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 13 points and ten assists, had to agree:
“Yeah, 100%,” he acknowledged. “They’re a good team and obviously, we had our runs and they had their runs. It was a good basketball game and I think that’ll just prepare us for later in the year, for games like this and learn how to close out games a little bit better.”
The Bulldogs will have a prime opportunity to bounce back when they go against the Nicholls State Colonels on Wednesday, now sitting at the No. 8 spot with a 7-2 record.