In what can only be described as a bold strategy to give up an 18-point lead in the second half, the Zags tested their mettle and held off a furious rally by Deonte Burton and the Iowa State Cyclones to win 73-71 and claim the AdvoCare Invitational for the third time.
After the game’s first 23 minutes, Gonzaga looked to be cruising to an easy win over the 21st-ranked Cyclones. But Iowa State’s Deonte Burton had different plans as the senior forward nearly single-handedly erased Gonzaga’s 18-point lead during a 15-0 Cyclone run during which Burton scored 11 points.