If there was one thing No. 14 Gonzaga failed to do in nonconference play, it was learn how to finish.
And the Bulldogs may not get many chances to play close games in West Coast Conference play, which they’ll open Monday against Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif.
Sure, the Bulldogs (9-4) trounced then-No. 8 Baylor 101-63 and then-No. 14 Indiana 89-73.
But they also lost in overtime to West Virginia (86-78) and No. 4 Kentucky (90-89), dropped a 77-71 decision to two-time defending NCAA champion UConn at Madison Square Garden and are coming off a 65-62 defeat to No. 22 UCLA on Saturday.
“Obviously we feel like we’ve been in a bunch of close games that we felt like we should have won all of them,” said Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard, who had 16 points and eight assists against a Bruins defense that is one of the best in the country. “We’ve got to close out these games and learn to win these close games.”
Graham Ike led the Bulldogs with 24 points as they rallied from an 11-point deficit and led for most of the final 12 1/2 minutes before stumbling.
It didn’t help Gonzaga that guard Khalif Battle, who is tied for third on the team with 11.8 points per game, was ejected with 4:13 remaining in the first half for a Flagrant-2 foul against UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr.
“We’re playing a great schedule and great teams,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “And you’re in position to win and in college basketball, you hope you can make a play, make a shot and get a stop at the end.”
Ike leads Gonzaga with 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Nembhard averages 12.1 points per game and leads the country with 10.0 assists per game.
The Bulldogs have won 47 consecutive games against Pepperdine (6-8, 0-1 WCC) dating to Jan. 18, 2002. It’s the third-longest run against an opponent in NCAA Division I history and the longest active streak.
The Waves have won four of their past six games, but are coming off a 91-80 loss Saturday at Santa Clara to open their conference slate.
Stefan Todorovic led the Waves with 25 points, three rebounds, four assists and a steal. Todorovic tops the WCC with 19.7 points per game.
Dovydas Butka added 16 points with eight rebounds and three assists and Moe Odum contributed 14 points, six rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Odum is third nationally with 105 assists, with Gonzaga’s Nembhard (130) the leader in that category.
“The system that Coach (Ed) Schilling puts us in opens the (court) for everybody,” Todorovic said. “Not just me, we can be a threat at all positions on the floor.”
Schilling is in his first season with the Waves after 13 years as an assistant at UMass, Memphis, UCLA, Indiana and, most recently, Grand Canyon. He also spent 1997-2003 as the head coach of Wright State. Schilling replaced Lorenzo Romar at Pepperdine.
–Field Level Media
