Washington rallies in second half and tops No. 7 Gonzaga 78-73. Snaps 7-game losing streak to Zags
SEATTLE (AP) Considering the rocky path of the past few seasons, Washington coach Mike Hopkins wanted his team to enjoy the spectacle of the moment - beating an in-state foe, ranked in the top 10, at home while the students flooded the court.
Keion Brooks Jr. scored 17 points, Sahvir Wheeler added 16, and the Huskies rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the second half to beat No. 7 Gonzaga 78-73 on Saturday night.
The Huskies (6-3) snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Bulldogs and picked up their first win over their in-state foe since a 99-95 victory in 2005, also in Seattle. It was also Washington’s first win over a top 10 opponent since beating Arizona in the 2017-18 season.
“To be with your family, friends - a lot of our parents, the parents of some of our players were there - to do it in front of our home crowd, in front of our city, a team that has had our number since 2005, one of the best college basketball programs in the country, it means a lot,” Hopkins said.
Wheeler was responsible for some of the biggest shots in Washington’s rally, but he had plenty of help. Brooks added eight rebounds and made four key free throws in the final minute. Moses Wood added 12 points and Koren Johnson scored 11 off the bench.
Franck Kepnang also had a big game controlling the paint with 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots for Washington.
It wasn't a perfect night for the Huskies. Hopkins hurt his hand hitting it on the bench during the game and was on his way to see the athletic trainer afterward.
“It was a bad move,” Hopkins said.
Graham Ike led Gonzaga (7-2) with 18 points and Nolan Hickman scored 17. But Washington was able to slow down Hickman after he scored 15 in the first half, and Gonzaga went through a miserable spell of cold shooting in the final minutes.
Gonzaga made just one of its final 12 shots and its only points in the final 7 minutes, 12 seconds came on Ike’s 3-point play with one minute remaining.
Anton Watson finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds, but the Zags shot just 26%, missed all nine 3-point attempts and had nine turnovers in the second half.
Gonzaga also had its streak of 16 straight wins over Pac-12 teams snapped.
“We weren’t great on getting to our second actions and trusting each other and just tried to make something out of nothing on a lot of those plays,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “Just didn't play with great poise down the stretch which so far this year we've done a good job of.”
The Bulldogs led 57-46 early in the second half after the Huskies started the half 1 of 10 shooting, but Washington slowly chipped away. The Huskies pulled even at 66-all with 8:56 left on Wheeler’s fastbreak layup and took their first lead since the opening minute on another Wheeler layup for a 72-70 lead with 3:41 left.
That was Washington’s final made basket, but the Huskies were 6 of 6 at the foul line in the final minutes making some of the key plays that they failed to in close losses to San Diego State and Colorado State earlier in the season.
BIG PICTURE
Gonzaga: Some of the Bulldogs role players that have been critical to their early success struggled. Dusty Stromer was scoreless in 28 minutes. Braden Huff had foul trouble and also finished scoreless and played only five minutes. Ben Gregg had 11 points off the bench.
Washington: The Huskies beat at team ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since toppling Baylor in the 2019 season opener. Washington’s last win against a top 10 team was against Arizona in February 2018.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga: hosts Mississippi Valley State on Monday.
Washington: at crosstown rival Seattle on Sunday, Dec. 17.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | (Bulldogs gains possession) | |||
19:47 | +2 | Ryan Nembhard makes two point layup | 2-0 | |
19:18 | +3 | Paul Mulcahy makes three point jump shot (Sahvir Wheeler assists) | 2-3 | |
19:02 | Graham Ike misses two point jump shot | |||
19:00 | Anton Watson offensive rebound | |||
18:56 | Keion Brooks Jr. shooting foul | |||
18:56 | +1 | Anton Watson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 3-3 | |
18:56 | Anton Watson misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
18:56 | Keion Brooks Jr. defensive rebound | |||
18:36 | Franck Kepnang misses two point jump shot | |||
18:34 | Anton Watson defensive rebound | |||
18:25 | +2 | Graham Ike makes two point jump shot | 5-3 | |
18:06 | +2 | Paul Mulcahy makes two point layup | 5-5 | |
17:54 | Sahvir Wheeler personal foul | |||
17:48 | +2 | Nolan Hickman makes two point jump shot (Ryan Nembhard assists) | 7-5 | |
17:30 | Nolan Hickman blocks Paul Mulcahy's two point jump shot | |||
17:26 | Anton Watson defensive rebound | |||
17:23 | +2 | Ryan Nembhard makes two point jump shot | 9-5 | |
17:16 | Sahvir Wheeler turnover (lost ball) (Dusty Stromer steals) | |||
17:05 | Dusty Stromer turnover (out of bounds) | |||
16:54 | Franck Kepnang turnover (out of bounds) | |||
16:40 | Anton Watson misses two point jump shot | |||
16:38 | Graham Ike offensive rebound | |||
16:28 | +2 | Graham Ike makes two point layup | 11-5 | |
16:16 | Sahvir Wheeler misses three point jump shot | |||
16:12 | Ryan Nembhard defensive rebound | |||
16:06 | Ryan Nembhard turnover (bad pass) | |||
15:52 | +2 | Keion Brooks Jr. makes two point layup | 11-7 | |
15:39 | Sahvir Wheeler misses three point jump shot | |||
15:39 | Franck Kepnang offensive rebound | |||
15:39 | Sahvir Wheeler misses three point jump shot | |||
15:39 | Franck Kepnang blocks Anton Watson's two point jump shot | |||
15:37 | Paul Mulcahy defensive rebound | |||
15:28 | Sahvir Wheeler misses three point jump shot | |||
15:28 | Franck Kepnang offensive rebound | |||
15:27 | +2 | Franck Kepnang makes two point dunk | 11-9 | |
15:23 | TV timeout | |||
15:04 | +2 | Graham Ike makes two point jump shot (Ryan Nembhard assists) | 13-9 | |
14:34 | Sahvir Wheeler misses two point layup | |||
14:34 | Huskies offensive rebound | |||
14:33 | Paul Mulcahy turnover (bad pass) (Nolan Hickman steals) | |||
14:33 | Moses Wood blocks Nolan Hickman's two point layup | |||
14:26 | Bulldogs offensive rebound | |||
14:26 | +3 | Nolan Hickman makes three point jump shot (Graham Ike assists) | 16-9 | |
14:05 | +2 | Moses Wood makes two point jump shot | 16-11 | |
13:45 | +3 | Nolan Hickman makes three point jump shot (Ryan Nembhard assists) | 19-11 | |
13:22 | +2 | Keion Brooks Jr. makes two point jump shot | 19-13 | |
13:05 | Graham Ike misses two point layup | |||
13:03 | Moses Wood defensive rebound | |||
12:43 | Keion Brooks Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
12:41 | Graham Ike defensive rebound | |||
12:34 | Dusty Stromer misses three point jump shot | |||
12:32 | Moses Wood defensive rebound | |||
12:27 | +3 | Paul Mulcahy makes three point jump shot (Moses Wood assists) | 19-16 | |
12:03 | +2 | Graham Ike makes two point layup (Ryan Nembhard assists) | 21-16 | |
11:41 | +2 | Sahvir Wheeler makes two point layup | 21-18 | |
11:20 | Nolan Hickman misses three point jump shot | |||
11:17 | Braxton Meah defensive rebound | |||
11:10 | Dusty Stromer shooting foul | |||
11:10 | TV timeout | |||
11:10 | Sahvir Wheeler misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
11:10 | +1 | Sahvir Wheeler makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 21-19 | |
10:43 | Koren Johnson shooting foul | |||
10:43 | +1 | Ryan Nembhard makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 22-19 | |
10:43 | +1 | Ryan Nembhard makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 23-19 | |
10:36 | Paul Mulcahy turnover (lost ball) (Anton Watson steals) | |||
10:24 | +2 | Anton Watson makes two point dunk | 25-19 | |
10:02 | Anthony Holland turnover (bad pass) | |||
9:56 | Braden Huff misses three point jump shot | |||
9:54 | Keion Brooks Jr. defensive rebound | |||
9:50 | Keion Brooks Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
9:46 | Franck Kepnang offensive rebound | |||
9:35 | +2 | Franck Kepnang makes two point layup | 25-21 | |
9:27 | Anton Watson misses three point jump shot | |||
9:25 | Braden Huff personal foul | |||
9:25 | Braden Huff personal foul | |||
9:18 | Koren Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
9:16 | Sahvir Wheeler offensive rebound | |||
9:05 | Sahvir Wheeler turnover (lost ball) (Ben Gregg steals) | |||
8:59 | Sahvir Wheeler shooting foul | |||
8:59 | +1 | Ben Gregg makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 26-21 | |
8:59 | +1 | Ben Gregg makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 27-21 | |
8:40 | +2 | Franck Kepnang makes two point jump shot (Koren Johnson assists) | 27-23 | |
8:30 | +3 | Nolan Hickman makes three point jump shot | 30-23 | |
8:11 | Nolan Hickman shooting foul | |||
8:11 | Koren Johnson misses regular free throw 1 of 3 | |||
8:11 | +1 | Koren Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 30-24 | |
8:11 | +1 | Koren Johnson makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 30-25 | |
8:00 | +2 | Ryan Nembhard makes two point layup | 32-25 | |
7:44 | +2 | Franck Kepnang makes two point dunk | 32-27 | |
7:44 | Braden Huff shooting foul | |||
7:44 | TV timeout | |||
7:44 | +1 | Franck Kepnang makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 32-28 | |
7:23 | Graham Ike misses two point jump shot | |||
7:21 | Koren Johnson defensive rebound | |||
7:12 | +2 | Franck Kepnang makes two point dunk (Koren Johnson assists) | 32-30 | |
7:03 | +2 | Graham Ike makes two point jump shot | 34-30 | |
6:51 | Koren Johnson turnover | |||
6:39 | Anton Watson misses two point jump shot | |||
6:37 | Koren Johnson defensive rebound | |||
6:29 | +2 | Keion Brooks Jr. makes two point jump shot | 34-32 | |
6:05 | +3 | Anton Watson makes three point jump shot (Nolan Hickman assists) | 37-32 | |
5:51 | Moses Wood misses three point jump shot | |||
5:49 | Koren Johnson offensive rebound | |||
5:41 | +2 | Koren Johnson makes two point layup | 37-34 | |
5:26 | +2 | Nolan Hickman makes two point layup | 39-34 | |
4:56 | Graham Ike shooting foul | |||
4:56 | +1 | Franck Kepnang makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 39-35 | |
4:56 | Franck Kepnang misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
4:56 | Anton Watson defensive rebound | |||
4:47 | Ryan Nembhard misses two point jump shot | |||
4:45 | Franck Kepnang defensive rebound | |||
4:38 | Paul Mulcahy turnover (bad pass) | |||
4:19 | Nolan Hickman misses two point jump shot | |||
4:19 | Graham Ike personal foul | |||
3:59 | Dusty Stromer personal foul | |||
3:59 | +1 | Moses Wood makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 39-36 | |
3:59 | +1 | Moses Wood makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 39-37 | |
3:49 | Ryan Nembhard misses two point jump shot | |||
3:47 | Paul Mulcahy defensive rebound | |||
3:41 | Jun Seok Yeo blocks Koren Johnson's two point jump shot | |||
3:38 | Jun Seok Yeo defensive rebound | |||
3:35 | Braden Huff offensive foul | |||
3:35 | Braden Huff turnover (offensive foul) | |||
3:35 | TV timeout | |||
3:15 | Paul Mulcahy turnover (lost ball) (Anton Watson steals) | |||
3:10 | +2 | Ryan Nembhard makes two point layup (Jun Seok Yeo assists) | 41-37 | |
2:54 | Keion Brooks Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
2:52 | Anton Watson defensive rebound | |||
2:33 | +3 | Ben Gregg makes three point jump shot (Ryan Nembhard assists) | 44-37 | |
2:04 | Keion Brooks Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
2:02 | Anton Watson defensive rebound | |||
1:58 | +2 | Ben Gregg makes two point layup (Anton Watson assists) | 46-37 | |
1:58 | Huskies 30 second timeout | |||
1:37 | +3 | Moses Wood makes three point jump shot (Keion Brooks Jr. assists) | 46-40 | |
1:14 | +2 | Nolan Hickman makes two point jump shot (Ryan Nembhard assists) | 48-40 | |
0:50 | Moses Wood misses three point jump shot | |||
0:46 | Ben Gregg defensive rebound | |||
0:23 | Ryan Nembhard misses two point jump shot | |||
0:20 | Keion Brooks Jr. defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | +2 | Sahvir Wheeler makes two point jump shot | 48-42 | |
0:00 | End of period |