DENVER – Gonzaga was on upset watch in the first half, but that wouldn’t last.
The third-seeded Zags caught fire out of halftime and rolled to a 82-70 win over No. 14 seed Grand Canyon in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday at Ball Arena.
With many fans in attendance transfixed on the jumbotron, watching Fairleigh Dickinson beat Purdue to become the second No. 16 seed to win an tournament game, the Antelopes’ hopes of their own upset faded.
The Bulldogs (29-5) were led by Julian Strawthers’ 28 points and 10 rebounds, as the junior had his best performance in an NCAA Tournament game.
Anton Watson also contributed a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Drew Timme scored 19 points.
Gonzaga got out to a seven point run, but lulled offensively in the first half, allowing Grand Canyon to build a seven point lead.
The Zags turned things around and showed why they boast the nation’s leading offense. GU shot 54% from the field, 47% on 3-pointers and 79% on free throws.
Gonzaga will await tonight’s game between Texas Christian and Arizona State to learn its second-round opponent.