SALT LAKE CITY – No. 4 Kansas stayed proper with No. 5 Gonzaga for the primary 20 minutes, taking a 44-43 lead into the half. Nonetheless, the Jayhawks couldn’t get something going within the second half whereas the Bulldogs had been red-hot, ending Kansas’ season 89-68 on Saturday in Salt Lake Metropolis.
“We went into halftime excited. We was constructive,” redshirt senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. mentioned postgame. “We simply wanted to get some stops as a result of like coach mentioned, it was a shootout. So if we capitalized on the defensive finish, I feel it might have took care of itself.”
Gonzaga acquired no matter it wished on offense, taking pictures 60% from the ground and 53% from three. Graduate ahead Anton Watson led the way in which with 21 factors, and junior guard Nolan Hickman added 17.
“[It was] disappointing in the present day that there was completely no signal of with the ability to sluggish them down,” head coach Invoice Self mentioned postgame.
Senior heart Hunter Dickinson led Kansas with 15 factors on 6-for-15 taking pictures. Harris tallied a double-double with 10 factors and 11 assists.
“To have the ability to play on this stage for this program, it did not go the way in which we wished it to, however I had lots of enjoyable this 12 months and I would not commerce it for the world,” Dickinson mentioned.
Kansas made seven of its 11 threes within the first half however was ice-cold within the second. The Jayhawks shot 27% from the ground and 18% from three, tallying simply 23 factors.
“Within the second half, we did not make something, they usually performed lights-out nice,” Self mentioned. “Actually put it on us dangerous the second half.”
Gonzaga received the frontcourt matchup early, with redshirt junior ahead Graham Ike and Watson scoring the primary six factors of the sport for the Bulldogs. Kansas missed its first three photographs whereas Gonzaga acquired into the paint for high-percentage appears.
Freshman guard Johnny Furphy woke the Jayhawks out of their early slumber, scoring six straight after pulling down a 3 and changing a three-point play. This sparked a 13-4 run for Kansas to take a 13-10 lead. Graduate guard Nicolas Timberlake acquired going as nicely, scoring 5 straight.
The sport drew shut after the alternating runs to open the sport. Harris knocked down a 3 and threw up a lob to junior ahead KJ Adams to present Kansas momentum. Gonzaga stayed proper there with neither staff constructing a lead bigger than two possessions.
Gonzaga tied issues up at 24-24 after redshirt freshman ahead Braden Huff and junior guard Nolan Hickman hit triples. Kansas hit a lull, going 1-for-11, however stayed locked in on the defensive finish to maintain the sport tied.
The Bulldogs took the lead as junior ahead Ben Gregg began to warmth up. He hit a 3, posted up towards Adams for a bucket, and fired an help to Huff. Gonzaga rattled off a 9-1 run, taking a 33-27 lead and forcing one other Kansas timeout.
Ike picked up his second foul, which allowed senior heart Hunter Dickinson to get going. Dickinson scored six straight to chop the result in two earlier than Harris tied issues up with a layup.
Kansas then acquired sizzling from three. Harris, Furphy and Dickinson rattled residence triples to present the Jayhawks a 44-41 lead late within the first half. Junior ahead Ben Gregg acquired on the offensive glass to chop the result in 44-43 heading into halftime.
The Jayhawks, a staff identified for struggling from downtown, shot 7-for-11 from three within the first half. Gonzaga shot 56% from the ground in a barn burner of the primary 20 minutes.
Gonzaga punched first after the break, happening a 13-2 run to take a 56-49 lead. Hickman scored the primary 5, then the Bulldogs acquired no matter they wished inside, scoring eight straight and forcing a Kansas timeout.
The Bulldogs noticed their lead develop to 63-49 after happening a 15-0 run whereas Kansas was held scoreless for over 4 minutes. Dickinson broke the drought, however the Jayhawks trailed by 13 heading into the under-12 timeout.
One other extended scoring drought put the nail within the coffin for the Jayhawks. Kansas went seven minutes with out scoring as Gonzaga prolonged its result in 74-53 with a 3 from freshman guard Dusty Stromer.
Kansas’ freshmen made contributions late, with guards Jamari McDowell and Elmarko Jackson choosing up buckets in transition.
Nonetheless, the Bulldogs rolled to a blowout, with the walk-ons getting their style of March basketball late.
Kansas’ season ends with a 23-11 file and a Spherical of 32 exit. The Jayhawks acquired eradicated within the second spherical for the second 12 months in a row.
