After an overtime escape against Seattle U, the Zags can reset at home against a dangerous Loyola Marymount team.
Gonzaga enters Sunday’s matchup with the Lions of Loyola Marymount still shaking off the stink of a win that demanded far more patience and late game heroics than it should have. The Zags trailed Seattle U by as many as 12 points on Friday, drifted through much of the first half, and ultimately needed overtime to escape a game that felt lifeless for long stretches before snapping into focus late. The comeback counted, but it also extended a bruising opening run to conference play that has exposed how unsettled Gonzaga has looked in recent weeks.
That backdrop frames Sunday’s LMU’s first visit to the Kennel this season, with tipoff coming at 6:00 PM PST . Gonzaga sits at 15-1, 3-0 in WCC play, and seventh nationally, yet the past week has involved a lot more lineup tinkering than fans are used to seeing as Mark Few continues to hunt for consistent production beyond Graham Ike and Braden Huff. The Seattle finish offered a revealing tell, with Few leaning on a closing group of Ike, Huff, Tyon Grant-Foster, Braeden Smith, and Adam Miller, a veteran-heavy lineup that mirrors Gonzaga’s original starting five before midseason shuffling took hold…