Gonzaga Basketball: 3 takeaways from OT loss to Kentucky Wildcats

Things looked easy for Gonzaga Basketball last night against Kentucky in Seattle, up 50-34 at the half. But the Wildcats were able to stage a comeback to eventually take the lead late, forcing the game into overtime. Like with West Virginia in the Bahamas, Gonzaga wasn't able to win the extra five minutes, falling 90-89.

There were some good and bad things that happened for the Bulldogs during the 45 minutes that could hint at season-long trends. Here's a look at my key takeaways from the game.

1. Graham Ike's big game

Amari Williams of Kentucky is a former two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year big man. But that didn’t matter to Ike, who went for a season-high 28 points and 11 rebounds on 9/16 shooting. He was dominant all game and the only main source of offense in the final 25 minutes. Kentucky made the big comeback when he was out, and Braden Huff (2 points on ¼ FG) didn’t give the team anything. Maybe if he played 40 of 45 minutes, Gonzaga would’ve won.

2. Three-point shooting issues remain

Gonzaga made its last trio of three-point attempts in overtime to make the overall number 6/27 on the night. Before that, they went 3/24, good for 13%. They didn’t make a single shot from deep in the second half, allowing the Wildcats to come back slowly. Gonzaga is around 34% on the season, lower against good teams. It’s disappointing because they’re a top-5 offense nationally, averaging 90 ppg. Imagine what they could do if they made their 3s?

3. Michael Ajayi’s inconsistent impact

The 6’7 forward was the top scorer in the WCC last season at Pepperdine, averaging around 20 ppg and 10 rpg. But while his stats were expected to dip, Ajayi is now putting up just 7.2 ppg and 5.4 rpg as a starter, shooting just 21% from three-point range. 

In the game against Kentucky, Ajayi had just four points and four fouls in 21 minutes. Ben Gregg (14 points and 7 rebounds) outplayed him off the bench. While Ajayi has had good games such as 15 points against Indiana, the Bulldogs may have to consider a change in the lineup against UConn if the offense, mainly the shooting, has issues outside of the Ike/Ryan Nembhard duo.