Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - Despite turning in one of its better defensive performances of the season, USF fell to 10th-ranked Gonzaga Saturday night, 66-52 before a sellout crowd of 6,000 inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
USF held the Zags held to their third-lowest scoring output of the season - nearly 14 points under its season average - but Gonzaga still had enough in all areas to hand Dons their 23rd straight defeat in Spokane.
USF was led in scoring by sophomore
Chris Adams, who finished with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range. Avry Holmes came off the bench to add eight while
Cody Doolin and De'End Parker contributed seven apiece. USF's leading scorer
Cole Dickerson, who picked up two fouls in the game's first four minutes, did not score but did pull down five rebounds.
After shooting 51 percent Thursday night at Portland, USF managed to shoot just 39.2 percent on Saturday and was outrebounded for an eighth straight game, 37-33.
Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk scored a game-high 13 points while Elias Harris and Kevin Pangos finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
USF trailed by just two points at 21-19 when Tao Xu connected on a short jumper at the 8:51 mark of the first half. However, the Zags then went on a 22-2 run to take a 43-21 lead at halftime.
Gonzaga led by as many as 24 points early in the second half but USF's defense limited the Zags to 23 second half points on 29 percent shooting from the floor.
USF never threatened in the second half, however, as Gonzaga still enjoyed a 23 point lead at 66-43 with 1:53 left before the Dons scored the last nine points of the game.
"I thought quick, contested shots and not finding the open man created a lot of paint touches for Gonzaga in the first half," said USF head coach
Rex Walters. "They are a really good team, one that can do a lot of damage in the NCAA Tournament and might even reach the Final Four.
"This is a hostile environment and the game was moving really fast but we still have to get into the process.
"Our quality of shot wasn't very good in the first half but was better in the second. You can't take quick, bad shots on the road against a good team like Gonzaga and expect to win. Shot selection has to be good on every possession - layups, post-ups and easy jump shots.
"We were tougher and more committed in the second half an made an adjustment to their ball screen defense. Saying all that, it's a process for us."
Walters high-praises for Olynyk afer the game came with a message for his young team.
"Kelly Olynyk as a freshman was a lot like our guys. He changed his body over the course of three years and is now an NBA lottery pick. He didn't play great today, but it was all about his mentality and how hard he was willing to work to change his body to get to where he is now. I challenged our guys to do the same."
USF will return to action on Wednesday night when the Dons play host to Saint Mary's beginning at 7:00 p.m. in War Memorial Gymnasium.
