Gonzaga Basketball: Nigel Williams-Goss carries Bulldogs to win in Provo

By Mike Knapp | Feb 3, 2017

Nov 24, 2016; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Johnathan Williams (3) high fives guard Silas Melson (0) after a dunk against the Quinnipiac Bobcats during the first half at HP Field House. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Gonzaga basketball remained undefeated despite taking a trip to a hostile enivornment in Provo.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the BYU Cougars, 85-75, in Provo, Utah on Thursday night. Gonzaga remains undefeated on the season while the Cougars drop to 16-8 (7-4 in conference).

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Gonzaga got out to an early lead and never relinquished control. They went up by double digits less than 10 minutes into the game and would cruise into halftime with a comfortable 16-point lead behind impressive play from junior guard Nigel Williams-Goss.

BYU came out with a lot more energy in the second half and were a basket away from really working their way back into things on multiple occasions. They got the lead down to six with two minutes left after an Eric Mika layup, but Gonzaga proved to be too much in the end. The Bulldogs ended up winning by 10, their smallest margin of victory since early December.

The Bulldogs are the current the number one team in the country, and they look to be more than deserving of that ranking. The WCC obviously does not compare to an ACC or Big Ten, but their continued dominance over the league says a lot about how good they are. BYU is right up there as one of the best mid-major programs in the country and Gonzaga made easy work of them leading by double digits for virtually the entire game.

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What really makes the Zags special is… well… everything. They are top seven in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, and their numbers across the board are elite in comparison to the entire country.

Offensively, Gonzaga is 4th in effective field goal percentage, 11th in turnover percentage and they shoot better than 38 percent from three.

On the other side of the ball, the Bulldogs allow opponents an effective field goal percentage of just over 41 — the best number in the nation — and they do a tremendous job of disrupting ball movement. Their opposition assists on just 42 percent of made baskets.

Gonzaga is dominating college basketball right now, and this dominance was on full display against BYU. Led by Williams-Goss’ superb 33-point (12-of-18 shooting) outing, the Bulldogs shot 46 percent while holding the Cougars to just 36 percent from the field, not to mention that they held a +13 rebounding advantage on the night against an overmatched BYU team.

Speaking of the Cougars, BYU finds itself in a familiar place in the WCC: playing third fiddle to the conference’s behemoths in Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga. Basically, all their numbers are down from last season, as they are clearly missing the recently graduated Kyle Collinsworth.

But what is really alarming is their poor three-point shooting on the year.

The Cougars shot better than 38 percent from three last season. This year, they are barely over 34 percent. These struggles were on full display against the Bulldogs, as they went just 6-of-22 from deep, and they continue to rely heavily on sophomore big man Eric Mika for most of their offense.

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BYU will look to right the ship Saturday against Portland, while Gonzaga will more than likely roll over Santa Clara in their weekend matchup. These teams do meet one more time three weeks from this Saturday, and an undefeated regular season may be on the line for the Bulldogs.