Jan. 23, 2014
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Toreros (11-10, 2-6) came up just short at Gonzaga Thursday evening, falling 59-56 to the No. 21 Bulldogs (17-3, 7-1). Junior guard Christopher Anderson had a chance to tie it up with four seconds left, but his three-point attempt fell short.
Johnny Dee was nearly perfect for the Toreros. The junior guard scored a game-high 26 points on 8-of-10 shooting and was perfect for the free-throw line (7-of-7) and from three (3-of-3). Senior Dennis Kramer chipped in ten points to go with his seven rebounds.
"We had a couple shots to take the lead in the last three minutes," Coach Grier said after the game. "I'm really disappointed we lost, but I'm really proud of the way our team played. We had a chance, but it just didn't go our way. I'm definitely not disappointed with the way we played in terms of our effort and our competitive spirit."
The Toreros were able to open up a five-point advantage midway through the first half, but the Zags responded with a 17-0 run and never relinquished the lead.
The Toreros remained in striking distance throughout the second half, and were able to tie the game at 55-55 with 5:55 left. However, they could only score one more point as the Zags held on to stay undefeated at home on the season.
"Our guys battled tonight. I'm happy with the way they came in here with focus and hung together. This is such a tough environment," Grier said. "It's got to be a top ten venue in the country as a home court advantage. Since this building's been open, only two teams in our conference have ever won here."
The Zags entered the night as the best offense team in the conference, but the Toreros stifling defense held the Zags to 22 points below their season average and to 2-of-11 shooting from 3-point range in the second half.
Sam Dower, who registered a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, was one of four Bulldogs to score in double figures.
The Toreros will wrap up their four game road-trip on Saturday when they travel to Portland for a 7:00 p.m. tip. The game can be seen locally on Time Warner SportsNet and Andy Masur will have the call on ESPN 1700 AM.
