The Gonzaga Bulldogs had to fight hard through a stingy San Francisco Dons’ defense,
The two teams played even through the first half, 25 points a piece, for 20 minutes. The Dons’ defense was physical, bodying Gonzaga off the ball and forcing eight first-half turnovers.
However, Gonzaga used their advantage down low, feeding the ball to Vyonne Ejim to offset the lackluster shooting from the rest of the squad. In return, Gonzaga’s defense did as usual, making life difficult for their opponents. San Francisco was held to 37% from the floor in the first half, enabling Gonzaga to keep it close despite their own shooting woes.