Homefield — March Madness

Kennesaw StateNo. 14

GonzagaNo. 3

FinalTBS

37.5%

18.8%

3PT

REB

AST

39.7%

16.7%

3PT

REB

AST

14-seeds pull off one of the bracket's biggest shocks about once every 7 tournaments. They've won 23 of 160 games (14.4%) since 1985.

Ike and Warley's Boards Bail Out a Sloppy Gonzaga

Gonzaga survived a determined Kennesaw State squad 73-64, with 16 offensive rebounds proving the difference in a game both teams shot poorly from the floor.

Jalen Warley was the most complete player on the court: 12 points, 12 rebounds (five offensive), five assists, and three steals in 28 minutes, doing his damage on both ends while Gonzaga's halfcourt offense sputtered to 39.7 percent shooting. He was the engine that kept the Zags' second-chance economy running, and without him those extra possessions simply do not exist.

Graham Ike provided the interior anchor with 19 points and eight rebounds, going 7-of-8 from the line and drawing contact consistently enough to stay a factor even when his jumper (6-of-13) was unreliable. Davis Fogle chipped in 17 points off complementary looks, giving Gonzaga a credible third scoring option with Braden Huff sidelined by a knee injury.

The story at the team level was Gonzaga's 16 offensive rebounds against Kennesaw State's 11, generating enough extra possessions to offset a shooting performance that was mediocre by any standard, and a free throw disparity of 23 attempts to 26 that slightly favored the Owls. Kennesaw State's three leading scorers all reached double figures and combined for seven assists against just four turnovers, a legitimate fight from a 14-seed missing three contributors, but they could not overcome the glass disadvantage that Gonzaga exploited all night.

Game Story

The Gonzaga Bulldogs held off the Kennesaw State Owls 73-64 in a competitive contest.•Graham Ike paced the offense with 19 points while also collecting 8 rebounds.•Gonzaga had 17 assists compared to Kennesaw State's 7, showing better ball movement.•Gonzaga owned the glass, out-rebounding Kennesaw State 45-34.•The Gonzaga Bulldogs held off the Kennesaw State Owls 73-64 in a competitive contest.•Graham Ike paced the offense with 19 points while also collecting 8 rebounds.•Gonzaga had 17 assists compared to Kennesaw State's 7, showing better ball movement.•Gonzaga owned the glass, out-rebounding Kennesaw State 45-34.•