Gonzaga Basketball: Takeaways from strong home win over North Carolina

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 18: Corey Kispert #24 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs controls the ball against Andrew Patek #3 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center on December 18, 2019 in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga defeats North Carolina 94-81. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

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SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 08: Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images) /

3. Pushing the pace paid off.

It’s no secret that Gonzaga is a program that likes to play up-tempo basketball. The Bulldogs have ranked in the top-60 in offensive pace in each of the last five seasons and the same scheme applies with regard to this campaign. They absolutely thrive in transition with being able to get out and run after missed shots or turnovers. Gonzaga does an excellent job forcing defenses out of their usual sets and then attacking mismatches. Against North Carolina, that theory definitely paid dividends as the defense forced misses and the entire unit pushed the pace offensively.

Gonzaga might not have created a ton of turnovers in this game, but the team was excellent in executing when it got them. Over the course of the contest, the Bulldogs recorded 17 points off of 12 North Carolina turnovers. That is a high rate of conversion and was one of the major differences in this game. Gonzaga was able to consistently make back-breaking defensive steals leading to easy finishes or Kispert trifectas on the other end. They also held North Carolina to just seven points off turnovers as they got back on defense well.

Gonzaga finished the contest with 23 points off fast-breaks. The Bulldogs picked apart the Tar Heels’ defense throughout this contest en route to 94 total points scored and running at all viable opportunities was a major reason why. Gonzaga was able to set the tempo of this game in front of its home crowd and that allowed for its high-powered offense to thrive.

Considering the number of offensive weapons on this roster, the Bulldogs can score effectively at any pace. This game once again showed, though, that nobody will want to get into a track meet with this team.

dark. Next. Week 7 National Power Rankings

On the whole, this was yet another strong win for possibly the best team in the entire country. Gonzaga is rolling as of late and should continue to garner attention near the top of the national polls. The Bulldogs are well-coached, relatively experienced, dominant offensively, and growing on the defensive end with each game.

Next Up: Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Eastern Washington Eagles on Dec. 21st