Second Round Recap – Albuquerque Region
For the second year in a row, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are going home early despite having a top three seed. Bob Knight, meanwhile, is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1994 thanks to more excellent play from senior guard Ronald Ross.
Ross, a walk-on four years ago who has blossomed into one of the best point guards in the Big 12, scored a team-high 24 points – including the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:04 left and two insurance free throws that ended up accounting for the margin of victory. The guard also recorded nine rebounds and dished out four assists in 40 minutes of action, leading his team to a hard-earned victory.
In the first half, however, things didn’t look so good for the Red Raiders. The Bulldogs shot over 48 percent from the floor and jumped out to a 38-29 halftime advantage, as the Red Raiders were unable to get any momentum going against the favored Gonzaga squad.
After Gonzaga scored the first four points of the second half, it looked as if the Bulldogs might run away with the contest. But after hanging around for a few minutes, the Red Raiders went on a 13-4 run over a 6:44 span to grab a two-point advantage. The teams battled back-and-forth in the final eight minutes of the contest, but Ross’ three-pointer with just over a minute remaining provided for the final lead change of the game in Texas Tech’s favor.
Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison did all that he could to keep his team in the game – including scoring 10 consecutive points at one point in the second half – but his game-high 25 points could not carry his team to the win. Also, for Gonzaga, Erroll Knight scored 14 and Ronny Turiaf added 13 points and 13 boards in his final collegiate game.
Besides the great day had by Ross, Texas Tech also saw some solid performances from its starters. Jarrius Jackson scored 18 points and grabbed five caroms in 40 minutes of play, while Martin Zeno and Darryl Dora also reached double figures for Bob Knight’s crew – and it all was needed, since the Red Raider bench did not contribute a single point.
