Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs survived a sleepy pre-Christmas crowd at the Moda Center to defeat the Oregon Ducks, 91-82, on Sunday afternoon. The win boosts the Zags to a 12-1 record in non-conference play. After this victory, Gonzaga will have a full week off before opening conference play at Pepperdine on Sunday, Dec. 28.
Gonzaga and Oregon were within one to two possessions of each other for most of the first half. A buzzer-beating three-pointer by Tyon Grant-Foster gave the Zags a 42-39 lead going into the break. In the second half, Few’s team gradually pulled away, led by Braden Huff and Graham Ike, who found their rhythm after slow starts. However, the real hero of the afternoon was backup point guard Braeden Smith, who played the majority of the second half and delivered the best performance of his Gonzaga career, scoring 21 points with seven assists and zero turnovers.
Below are three key takeaways from Gonzaga’s win over Oregon to close out their non-conference play:
### 1. Gonzaga’s Three-Point Shot Is Alive and Well
Gonzaga has been red-hot from beyond the arc this month, and Sunday’s game was no exception. The Zags shot a blazing 8-of-15 from three in the first half alone, sparked by Adam Miller’s 3-of-4 shooting off the bench and early makes from Steele Venters. Gonzaga finished the game shooting 10-of-23 (43%) from three-point range—marking their fifth straight game shooting 37% or better from deep.
These outside shots were crucial to stretching Oregon’s defense, especially with Graham Ike struggling to score in the first half. Unlike their poor perimeter shooting in the Michigan game, Gonzaga’s backcourt rebounded with a strong Sunday performance. Since that 3-of-22 outing against Michigan in Las Vegas, Gonzaga has shot 40-of-86 (46.5%) from three in five games. Maintaining this momentum heading into WCC play will make them even more difficult to contain.
### 2. Braeden Smith Is a Wizard
Going into the game, the exciting matchup to watch was between point guards Jackson Shelstad and Mario Saint-Supery. However, it was Gonzaga’s backup guard Braeden Smith who shined the brightest on Sunday afternoon.
Smith was incredibly active in pushing the tempo and excelled running the pick-and-roll throughout the game. The junior finished with a season-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, along with seven assists and zero turnovers. Defensively, he did an excellent job limiting Shelstad, holding the preseason All-Big Ten guard to just 12 points on a 2-of-9 shooting performance from three.
Gonzaga is a dangerous team whether Saint-Supery or Smith is running the show, allowing them to maintain offensive rhythm even if one guard has an off night.
### 3. Free Throw Shooting
Gonzaga’s roster features multiple players with career free throw averages above 75%, making them one of the nation’s potentially best free throw shooting teams. However, free throws have been a source of strain for much of the season. That issue was not a problem on Sunday.
The Zags knocked down an excellent 23-of-28 from the free throw line, including a stretch of 16-for-17. Graham Ike was 9-of-11, Braeden Smith went a perfect 6-for-6, and Grant-Foster—who came into the game shooting 65.9%—went 5-of-6 off the bench.
Strong free throw shooting was key—not only to prevent Oregon from mounting a comeback but also to build confidence as Gonzaga heads into WCC play and the second half of the season.
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With this convincing win, Gonzaga closes its non-conference schedule on a high note and looks well-positioned as it prepares for the challenges ahead in conference play.
https://www.si.com/college/gonzaga/basketball/braeden-smith-excels-gonzaga-completes-non-conference-with-win-over-oregon
