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Gonzaga Basketball: Takeaways from road win over Washington

By Lukas Harkins

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 08: Joel Ayayi #11 and Filip Petrusev #3 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate after Ayayi hit a 3-point shot to put Gonzaga up by 6 pois in the 2nd half at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on December 8, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 08: Joel Ayayi #11 and Filip Petrusev #3 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate after Ayayi hit a 3-point shot to put Gonzaga up by 6 pois in the 2nd half at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on December 8, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images) /
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SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 19: Gilder of the Bulldogs goes. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 19: Gilder of the Bulldogs goes. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

Gonzaga basketball picked up another strong win recently by taking down Washington on the road. What were the biggest takeaways from the win?

Gonzaga basketball has been one of the most consistently successful programs in the nation for the last several years. And even though the Bulldogs lost a ton of talent this offseason, they once again have a roster capable of competing for the national championship. That much was evident in the first 10 games of the season even with a disappointing loss to Michigan in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. It was even more on display, though, during Gonzaga’s most recent victory, a road victory over a potential top-25 team in the Washington Huskies.

This was Gonzaga’s second true road game of the season and the team once again showed its power. Seemingly from the opening tip, the Bulldogs controlled the game by virtue of dominating the possession battle. Washington shot better percentages from the field and from 3-point range but Gonzaga exhibited a +9 advantage on the offensive glass and also a +7 difference in turnovers. This was a significant step in the right direction with regard to Gonzaga’s discipline once again as they are seemingly rounding into form with each contest.

Following the win, Gonzaga rose to the No. 6 spot in the AP Top 25 poll (previously No. 9). Without any true dominant forces in college basketball this year, the Bulldogs are in great standing at this point. They are improving with seemingly every contest while still hoping to regain full health. Anton Watson is still being limited and he is a versatile defender that can really raise Gonzaga’s ceiling.

Returning to Gonzaga’s play against Washington, though, let’s take a deeper dive into the victory and analyze some of the biggest takeaways.