SPOKANE, WASHINGTON -- The Thunderbirds were in Spokane, Washington, on Monday night, taking on the No. 13-ranked Bulldogs of Gonzaga, and fell to 1-4 after a 50-122 loss.

Head Coach Rob Jeter said

"Gonzaga is a really good team. They are extremely well-coached and force you into a lot of mistakes. We will learn from this game and continue getting better each day."

Top T-Birds

• Freshman point guard Elijah Duval led the Thunderbirds with 10 points on the night.
• Isaiah Cottrell finished the game with eight points and five rebounds.
• Freshman Cale Barclay showed quality poise, scoring six points and collecting four rebounds.

Game Recap

The Thunderbirds struggled with the Bulldogs' physicality and athleticism, particularly on defense.

Cale Barclay got the first bucket for the Thunderbirds at the 16-minute mark, and the Bulldogs proceeded to go on an 11-0 run to extend their lead to 19-4. Tanner Hayhurst did his best to keep the Thunderbirds close, cashing in back-to-back triples to make it an 11-point game, but Gonzaga was just too much to overcome.

The Zags took a 59-27 lead into the break.

SUU did a good job trading baskets with the Zags to start the second half, but facing such a large deficit, the T-Birds needed stops and were unable to force any. The Thunderbirds scored just 10 points over the final 10 minutes of game time.

Statistical Recap

SUU shot 30% from the floor and 16% from three to go along with 23 turnovers.

The Thunderbirds matched the Bulldogs in offensive rebounding, each team securing 9, but were outrebounded for the game 26-44. 

The T-Birds have been a quality team in the paint this year, but were outscored 66-24 down low.

Up Next

SUU will have another quick turnaround as they head to Pullman, Washington, to take on Washington State University on Wednesday, November 19, at 9:00 p.m.

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