Short-handed No. 16 Arizona come up short against No. 8 Gonzaga
Dec 3, 2016, 6:17 PM | Updated: 10:12 pm
Gonzaga guard Jordan Mathews, left, tries to pass from the floor as Arizona guard Rawle Alkins steals it during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES — Przemek Karnowski scored 18 points and No. 8 Gonzaga defeated 16th-ranked Arizona 69-62 on Saturday in the inaugural Hoophall LA doubleheader at Staples Center.
Josh Perkins added 16 points for the Zags (8-0), who beat the Wildcats (6-2) for the first time since 2011 after losing six of the previous seven matchups.
Arizona freshman Rawle Alkins scored 16 points and 7-foot freshman Lauri Markkanen had 14 points and eight rebounds. Dusan Ristic, a fellow 7-footer, added 12 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Kobi Simmons, who was averaging 13.0 points, shot 1 of 9 and finished with two points.
Karnowski and Perkins combined to score Gonzaga’s first 17 points of the second half, extending its lead to 53-40.
The game wasn’t close until the final 6:45 and that was because the Zags couldn’t make free throws. They missed eight of their last 14.
The Wildcats got to 63-58 on a basket by Chance Comanche before Nigel Williams-Goss hit a floater for the Zags, their last basket of the game with 1:10 to play.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona: The Wildcats shot 36 percent in the first half when they had nine turnovers. They struggled to get untracked and only once reduced their deficit to single digits in the half. They shot 39 percent for the game and finished with 12 turnovers.
Gonzaga: The Zags raced out to a 23-9 lead to start the game. They hit 3-pointers on their first two possessions, causing Arizona to call time out. In all, the Zags made five of their six 3-point attempts in the half during their game-opening run. They had five steals and five blocked shots in the half, with Killian Tillie and Williams-Goss coming up with two big ones.
UP NEXT
Arizona: Hosts UC Irvine on Tuesday.
Gonzaga: Hosts Washington on Wednesday, the Zags’ second straight Pac-12 opponent.
