No. 15 Gonzaga returns home to face UIW (Nov 29, 2017)
After playing three overtime sessions in its past two games, Gonzaga gets something of a breather.
The Bulldogs are home on Wednesday to play Incarnate Word at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash.
The Zags (5-1) climbed two spots to No. 15 after going 2-1 in the PK80 tournament in Portland, Ore.
After losing an instant classic 111-106 game in double overtime to No. 6 Florida on Friday, Gonzaga blew a big second-half lead and needed overtime to beat Texas on Sunday in the third-place game of its bracket.
The Bulldogs, who led 68-52, struggled against the Longhorns' pressure defense over the final six minutes of regulation.
"We did a really poor job of being strong with ball, a really poor job with our decisions," coach Mark Few said of the Zags' late turnover binge, according to the (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review. "But 44 of those minutes were pretty good. I'm going to choose to focus on that. It's Nov. 26, and we'll clean up some things on the press-break, but by and large it's been a great three days for us."
Bulldogs point guard Josh Perkins turned over the ball on back-to-back possessions to aid the Texas comeback.
"Lot of credit to my teammates to forget that play and put it behind us," Perkins said. "I know I messed up at the end but hats off to those guys."
The game was a coming-out party for Gonzaga sophomore Rui Hachimura. The 6-foot-8 forward from Japan has been something of a mystery to Bulldogs fans.
In limited minutes as a freshman, Hachimura, an elite athlete, had made a handful of YouTube-worthy dunks in mop-up time of Bulldogs routs.
But with three starters and an NBA lottery pick gone from last year's national runner-up team, Hachimura figured to see a lot more minutes this year.
Coach Mark Few inserted him into the lineup early in the first half Sunday, and Hachimura responded with career highs of 20 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.
"It was an open-court game," Few said, "which Rui is a lot better usually in than half-court grinders."
Hachimura's productivity will be key for a Zags team that encountered foul problems in their past two games.
"I'm so happy to be here and playing with the guys," he said. "I'm just happy."
UIW (3-2) finally became a full-fledged member of Division I this season.
The Cardinals have competed in the Southland Conference -- and were competitive, going 38-30 over the previous four years -- but were ineligible for any postseason tournaments because of the NCAA's four-year ban on schools transitioning to the top level.
"If anybody asks me what it's like, it's the death penalty," coach Ken Burmeister told the San Antonio Express-News earlier this year. "You can't even go to your conference postseason. Bizarre is an understatement. If anybody asked me what they could change, I would change that, no question."
After starting the season 3-0 against smaller schools, Incarnate Word has lost to Loyola Marymount and Houston.
The Cardinals will be home on Saturday to take on Sacramento State.
Gonzaga hosts No. 25 Creighton on Friday.
