A hot start helped Gonzaga build a solid first half lead and the Zags were able to dictate the pace of the game in the first half on their way to scoring more than 40 points. Unfortunately WSU did a great job taking Derek away in the latter part of the second half by using Kyle Weaver on him and making it difficult for Raivio to shoot over the taller defender. Without Derek scoring from the outside Gonzaga was out of sync and was held to 27 second half points. After Josh scored four huge points in a row to give the Zags the lead late in the second half, the team failed to make another field goal the rest of the way, with the only point being another Heytvelt free throw as the Cougars outscored the Bulldogs 14-1 to win the game. While Gonzaga struggled to score WSU did a great job getting and converting good shots, namely two 3s by Harmling and basket plus the foul by Derek Low. The Cougars played very well and scored when it matter most, and therefore deserved this upset win over the Zags on this night.

While tonight’s ballgame is a tough loss there are some good things that can come out of the game. Hopefully the Bulldogs got a taste to what a road environment is like when you are the biggest game of the year, and the type of team unity and effort it will take to overcome the opponent’s home court advantage. This was the first time these players have had to score in a hostile arena in a close game, without being able to rely on JP or Morrison, and that can be difficult. Gonzaga will have many more difficult road tests this year, in both the WCC and at Georgia and Virginia, and hopefully the team can use this painful loss as a learning experience in these future games so they come out on top next time. The Bulldogs will not like or soon forget the feeling of the opposing crowd rushing the court after the game and this could also provide more motivation for them down the road so they do not have to go through that experience again this year.

Now Gonzaga must refocus and prepare for a motivated and talented University of Washington team on Saturday. Gonzaga needs to take care of the ball and get better shots than they got tonight in order to beat the undefeated Huskies. It will take a great team effort to get the win on Saturday night, but expect the team to come out strong together after being upset on the road and play well in front of the home crowd.