Gonzaga Basketball: Bulldogs crushes Baylor, opens up Final Four conversations

No. 6 ranked Gonzaga easily overruled No. 8 Baylor in the Findlay Auto Tip-Off on Monday night, reaching a 101-63 win. 

The Zags saw five different scorers reach double-digits in the points category, three who were starters (Graham Ike, Nolan Hickman and Khalif Battle) and two who came off the bench (Braden Huff and Dusty Stromer). 

Hickman, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, led both teams in scoring with 17 points while also contributing six rebounds and one assist. Last season, the Seattle, Washington native averaged 14 points per game. Hickman will look to build off of his performance and continue to lead the Bulldogs in the right direction.

As a team, Gonzaga shot 40-70 (57.1%) from the field and 13-31 (41.9%) from three while leading in almost statistical category: total rebounds, second chance points, bench points, points in the paint, fast break points and assists. 

Not only did the display we saw help us get a better understanding of the Zags, but it also put into perspective how this team is structured for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, propelling most, like us, to engage in Final Four conversations. 

The Bulldogs are loaded from top to bottom and also hold a strong presence in overall experience as their starting five consists of five seniors. Off the bench, Huff and Stromer have one full year of college hoops under their belt as they are both sophomores, who didn’t play like youngsters on Monday night. 

The Zags look to go 2-0 on Sunday, Nov. 10 when they host five-star freshman Jayden Quaintance and the Arizona State Sun Devils. That game can be viewed on ESPN at 5:00 p.m.