Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Iowa Hawkeyes Match Player Stats On Dec 19, 2020

Jalen Suggs made 7 of 10 3-point attempts while scoring a career-best 27 points to lead top-ranked Gonzaga to an impressive 99-88 victory over No. 3 Iowa on Saturday in a neutral-court nonconference showdown at Sioux Falls, S.D.

Joel Ayayi registered a career-high 18 rebounds in addition to contributing 11 points and six assists as the Bulldogs (4-0) didn't appear the least bit rusty in their first game since Dec. 2 due to COVID-19 issues.

Drew Timme recorded 15 points and nine rebounds and Corey Kispert added 13 points and six assists for Gonzaga. Andrew Nembhard also scored 13 points while Suggs' stat line included seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few was worried about this team's conditioning due to the long layoff but it wasn't an issue in a game in which his club shot 51.4 percent from the field -- including a solid 13 of 26 from 3-point range -- and boasted a 49-37 rebounding advantage.

Iowa All-American Luka Garza recorded 30 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. Joe Wieskamp added 20 points, nine rebounds and three steals while Joe Toussaint scored 14 points and Jack Nunge added 10 for the Hawkeyes (6-1).

Iowa won its first six games by an average of 32 points before being outclassed by the Zags. The Hawkeyes shot 46.7 percent from the field but were a dismal 4 of 22 from behind the arc.

The Hawkeyes displayed some life with less than nine minutes to play and scored seven straight points to pull within 81-72 with 7:25 remaining.

Aaron Cook's 3-pointer pushed Gonzaga's lead to 86-74 with 6:37 left.

Iowa again moved within nine on Wieskamp's putback with 2:41 left. Suggs answered 27 seconds later with his seventh 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 93-81 advantage.

The Hawkeyes made one last push with Toussaint scoring back-to-back baskets to pull his team within 96-88 with 39.9 seconds left. But Nembhard made two free throws and Cook hit one of two down the stretch as Gonzaga closed it out.

Suggs scored 18 first-half points and drained 5 of 6 3-point attempts to help the Bulldogs hold a 51-37 advantage at the break.

The Hawkeyes trailed 25-24 after Nunne's layup with 10:12 left before Gonzaga ripped off 13 straight points. Suggs capped it with his second 3-pointer of the burst to give the Bulldogs a 38-24 lead with 6:03 remaining.

The lead reached 18 at 51-33 when Suggs knocked down his fifth 3-pointer of the half with 1:45 remaining.

Iowa trailed by 13 early in the second half before Gonzaga stretched the advantage to 20 at 71-51 on Cook's layup with 13:29 left in the contest.

--Field Level Media