Gonzaga Dominates Georgia in NCAA Tournament Opener

WICHITA, Kan. – Gonzaga Bulldogs secured an emphatic 89-68 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Intrust Bank Arena. The win marks Gonzaga’s 16th consecutive first-round victory in the tournament.

The eighth-seeded Zags established early dominance, scoring 27 of the first 30 points of the game, with Gonzaga’s Khalif Battle leading the way with 24 points, and Nolan Hickman adding 18 points.

Gonzaga opened the game with aggressive 3-point shooting and exceptional defense, leaving Georgia scoreless for over four minutes. The SEC Bulldogs managed to trim Gonzaga’s lead to 18 points briefly, capitalizing on turnovers and securing free throws, but the Zags quickly pulled away again.

“We had a great start. After the last game, we really worked on our shooting,” Battle said. “We wanted to come out and make a statement.”

Georgia struggled offensively, shooting just 28% from the field and only making 1 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half, which ended with Gonzaga leading 48-27.

Despite the slow start, Georgia’s Asa Newell managed to score and contribute defensively; however, the Bulldogs could not keep pace with Gonzaga’s high-scoring offense.

The second half saw Georgia improve its shooting but still trail behind Gonzaga, which had four players scoring in double figures. Gonzaga made a total of 12 three-pointers in the game, falling just short of the program’s NCAA Tournament record.

“We focused on sharing the ball better and it showed tonight,” Hickman said after the game, noting the team’s improved communication and execution.

With this victory, Gonzaga advances to face the top-seeded Houston team, which won its first round matchup against SIU Edwardsville, 78-40. The matchup between Gonzaga and Houston is set for Saturday.

Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard, who was an asset on Montverde Academy’s highly regarded high school teams, reflected on the exciting match-up: “We’re all focused on winning. It will be a great challenge against Houston.”

Montverde Academy has recently produced several collegiate and NBA players, including Nembhard, who played in the 2019-20 national champion Montverde team. Current Montverde player Asa Newell, who was also involved in this matchup, shared his thoughts on the game, stating, “Every player played their role tonight, and it was great to see.”

As February’s long patterns of games culminated into the March Madness excitement, Gonzaga continues to assert its dominance as they continue their pursuit for another deep tournament run.