It was an important game for Gonzaga Basketball, taking on UCLA in a likely Quad 1 matchup on the resume. It was a game that included the referees, as starting guard Khalif Battle was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul in the first half.
The Bulldogs still had a chance to win the game late, with it being a one-possession game in the final seconds. In the end, Gonzaga lost 65-62 to fall to 9-4 overall. Here are some takeaways from the latest setback with the Bulldogs.
1. Gonzaga’s fight without Battle
When Battle was ejected, Gonzaga trailed by as much as 11 points during that time and couldn’t get anything going offensively. To their credit, they went on an 11-0 to tie the game, with it being a back-and-forth battle the rest of the way. Considering how important Battle was to the team’s gameplan against UCLA, it was impressive that the Bulldogs still found a way to have a second-half lead and almost win. It creates a “what could’ve been scenario” had he not been ejected.
2. Dusty Stromer’s start failed to work
The one notable change that occurred before the game was Nolan Hickman being replaced in the lineup with Stromer, who had been playing a lot more lately. The results weren’t there, with the sophomore going scoreless in 30 minutes, missing both three-point attempts. It didn’t prove to be that costly for Gonzaga, as Hickman only had six points in 31 minutes off the bench, and both played together for the final 25 minutes after Battle was ejected. We’ll see what Coach Few does with the next lineup against Pepperdine.
3. Bulldogs lost despite giving up only 8 FG from inside the arc
The battle of leading scorers inside was dominated by Graham Ike, who scored a game-high 25 points. He thoroughly outplayed Tyler Bilodeau, who had just seven points on 2/10 FG. But the Bruins made up for it by going 12/24 from three-point range, led by Eric Dailey Jr. and Kobe Johnson, each making four.
In a game that ended up in the low 60s, UCLA’s three-point shooting proved to be just good enough in the win. Gonzaga’s defense played well overall, but in the end, the Bruins' shot-making proved too much.