Braden Huff scored 20 points as No. 12 Gonzaga overwhelmed Maryland with its offensive execution in a wire-to-wire, 100-61 win in the Player’s Era men’s tournament Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Graham Ike added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists as Gonzaga (7-0) advanced to Wednesday’s championship game against No. 7 Michigan.
Emmanuel Innocenti (15 points) and Steele Venters (14 points) led the Bulldogs reserves to a 51-9 edge in bench points. The duo also led Gonzaga’s long-range assault as they combined to make 9 of 14 shots from 3-point range.
The Bulldogs shot 57.8% from the floor, with Huff sinking 9 of 10 attempts. From 3-point range, they made 14 of 33 tries (42.4%).
Gonzaga ran an offensive clinic, moving the ball inside and out. Of the Bulldogs’ 37 field goals, 30 came by way of an assist. Mario Saint-Supery had a game-high nine helpers.
Gonzaga has beaten five power conference schools as part of its perfect start. All of its wins have come by double-digit margins.
Pharrel Payne scored 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead Maryland (5-2), which made 36.4% of its shots and 5 of 21 (23.8%) from 3-point range.
Triples by Ike and Saint-Supery in the first four minutes helped Gonzaga bolt to a 10-4 lead.
Then 3-pointers from Huff and Adam Miller fueled a 12-2 burst, which put the Bulldogs up 22-8.
When Innocenti made his first of five 3-pointers, it gave Gonzaga its biggest lead of the first half, 32-11, with 8:20 left in the period.
Maryland’s best stretch followed as it outscored Gonzaga 16-4. Isaiah Watts and Darius Adams, who finished with 13 points, fired 3-pointers and Payne made four free throws as the Terrapins whittled the deficit to single digits at 36-27.
The Bulldogs made only 1 of 7 shots during the Terrapins’ surge, but they soon regained their rhythm, hitting their final three shots of the first half and first eight of the second period.
The marksmanship display included six 3-pointers, with four coming off the hand of Innocenti, and put Gonzaga up 66-44 with 13:52 left.
–Field Level Media
