Kent St. Golden Flashes vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Match Player Stats On Dec 05, 2022

Drew Timme scored 29 points and grabbed 17 rebounds Monday night as No. 18 Gonzaga rallied in the final 3 1/2 minutes to subdue Kent State 73-66 in Spokane, Wash.

Timme converted a layup with 2:29 left to give the Bulldogs (6-3) the lead for good at 67-66. Timme made the first of two free throws at the 1:55 mark and missed the second, but Malachi Smith rebounded it and converted a three-point play for a 71-66 lead.

Julian Strawther added 14 points for Gonzaga, including a 3-pointer with 3:19 left that started its comeback. Nolan Hickman chipped in 10 points.

Miryne Thomas scored 16 points for the Golden Flashes, draining a 3-pointer with 3:41 remaining that gave them a 66-62 lead. But it was their last bucket of the night as they missed their final five shots.

Malique Jacobs added 11 points for Kent State (6-3) and Sincere Carry, its leading scorer this season, managed 10 points. Carry made just 4 of 15 shots from the field.

The Golden Flashes nearly pulled off a huge upset for the second time this season. They almost knocked off then-No. 2 Houston on Nov. 26 before losing 49-44 on the road.

After being held to 63 points Friday night in a one-point loss to Baylor, Gonzaga resembled its usually efficient, high-scoring self early. It led 14-11 at the first TV timeout five minutes into the game, thanks to a dunk by Anton Watson.

Then the Zags slipped into a rut and managed just three points in the next 6 1/2 minutes while Kent State grabbed a 21-17 advantage when Giovanni Santiago drove for a layup.

At that point, Gonzaga found its rhythm again and ripped off 20 points in just over six minutes. Rasir Bolton's fastbreak layup gave it a 37-30 cushion with 2:15 remaining in the first half. The margin got to eight before Carry drove for a layup with six seconds on the clock, pulling the Golden Flashes within 40-34 at halftime.

--Field Level Media