Gonzaga Basketball: 3 takeaways from win over No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes

In one of the best games of the early season, Gonzaga Basketball overwhelmed Iowa on both ends of the floor, 99-88 on Saturday in South Dakota.

Among the slate of great college basketball on Saturday, Gonzaga Basketball vs. Iowa is expected to be the headline game.

Both teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring and littered with All-Conference players. Both teams would strike early as it took just five minutes for each team to get to 10 points in the contest.

Jalen Suggs would be the early leading scorer for the Bulldogs as he scored eight points on perfect shooting, to a 15-14 lead seven minutes into the game. One of the keys against the Hawkeyes was to limit Garza. He can be contained, when having the right personnel and rotation to fit against him.

An 8-0 run, led by Suggs and Nembhard, would put Gonzaga up, 33-24. Iowa had no answer for Gonzaga’s weapons as they connected on six of their first eight three-point attempts. Five players had four or more points prior to half and shot 64 percent from the field.

Gonzaga would begin the onslaught, climbing the lead to as much as 14 in the first half. The Bulldogs played faster, with more intensity, and showed signs of no rust early on. Gonzaga was playing at a faster speed and defensively, Iowa was just trying to keep up with the Bulldogs’ pace.

10 first-half three-pointers and out-rebounding the Hawkeyes 21-12 would headline a near-perfect first half for Gonzaga. Suggs led the Bulldogs at halftime with 18 as Gonzaga would head into the locker room with a 51-37 lead.

Garza was having a good game up to this point, leading in scoring and very efficient from the field. However, Iowa’s guards could not keep up with Gonzaga’s and struggled from the field. That is in part to the defense from Suggs, Nembhard, and Joel Ayayi.

Even with Gonzaga dominating Iowa with offense, the Hawkeyes would continue to hang around. An 7-0  run would cut the Bulldogs lead to nine with just a shade over seven minutes to play. What wouldn’t is the foul trouble as the trio of Watson, Timme, and Kispert all were at four fouls.

However, what seemed to be the headline of this game is the guard play. Suggs seventh and hardest three-pointer would fall, giving the Bulldogs a 12 point lead and ultimately, enough to get the win.

Suggs would lead the way with 27 points and six rebounds on 8-17 shooting from the field to a 99-88 win over Iowa.