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The Gonzaga Bulldogs had their last chance to tweak their game before the season began on Sunday when they took on Lewis and Clark State College. The Zags looked sharper and more disciplined in this final exhibition, especially in the first half. Gonzaga jumped to an early lead and continued to build. After some experiments with the rotation, the Bulldog’s foot came off the accelerator. They cruised to a 85-48 win.
Defending the perimeter had been a concern of the Gonzaga coaching staff after the Zags allowed their last opponent, Emporia State, to shoot 55.6% from trey land. Gonzaga improved remarkably, shutting LC State down to only 27% shooting from both the 3-point arc and the field. Nathan Doudney stood out for his tenacity and toughness on the defensive end, hustling for loose balls, stealing passes and simply mirroring his opponent. Doudney collected a total of 6 steals for the night.
Gonzaga’s offense was equally as impressive. The Zags shot a sizzling 62.3% from the field. Sean Mallon missed only one of his 9 field goal attempts and finished with a double-double: 20 points coupled with 11 boards. Mallon also collected 4 steals. Adam Morrison’s stroke was as consistent as ever, allowing him to match Mallon’s 20 points. Derek Raivio handled the point with the same confidence as the last match. Erroll Knight dazzled the crowd early with two slams and, later, a nifty behind-the-back pass to Mallon for an easy lay-in. Ronny Turiaf contributed solid play and scored 10 points for the night. Sunday’s version of the Bulldog’s featured ball movement as good shots were given up to make the pass for a better shot.
Overall, the effort was balanced on both ends and under-sized LC State couldn’t match the Zags’ talent. Gonzaga will open the season this Friday versus the Portland State Vikings. Portland State has been picked to finish near the top of the Big Sky Conference, providing the first D-1 challenge for this year’s young GU team. It may also be the fan’s first glimpse of inside power JP Batista, who continues to await an NCAA go-ahead to play.