Gonzaga Basketball: 3 takeaways from loss to UConn Huskies in Madison Square Garden

Gonzaga Basketball was looking to avoid consecutive losses for the first time in years when they played UConn in New York City. It was a rough start for the Bulldogs, falling down 13-2 in the opening minutes. They eventually came back to tie it at 55 in the second half before a 10-0 run by the Huskies gave them the separation needed to get the 77-71 victory.

Here are some takeaways from the Bulldogs’ side after the defeat.

1. No-shows from Hickman/Ike

It’s hard to win a game when two of your starters had no impact, but that was the case with Gonzaga, with Graham Ike and Nolan Hickman combining for just three total points, playing just 12 minutes each. It was supposed to be a good matchup with Ike, especially once Samson Johnson of UConn had to leave with an injury. But Gonzaga couldn’t take advantage, which is a big reason why they couldn’t win.

2. No answer for Liam McNeeley

The one concern for Gonzaga entering the game was how they’d deal with the 6’7 freshman wing, as the Bulldogs typically employ three-guard lineups. It ended up being an even bigger advantage than expected, as McNeeley scored eight points early on, finishing up with a season-high 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. There was little that the Bulldogs could do in that game on him, but if they had slowed him down just a bit, they would’ve had a shot at winning.

3. Michael Ajayi’s strong game in a losing effort

One positive for Gonzaga is that they managed to get the Pepperdine transfer out of a rut, with Ajayi finishing with 14 points and six rebounds on a perfect 6/6 FG shooting. He outplayed Alex Karaban, who had just eight points on 3/10 shooting, missing all of seven of his three-point attempts. 

And that’s what makes this result even more painful for Gonzaga Basketball. The one position where they had a clear mismatch on paper, they actually won it. It was the other position battles on the court where the Bulldogs fell flat at, giving them not two straight defeats to come back from.