NCAAB Game Recap - Gonzaga at Southern Miss
Wed Nov 27, 2019 7:00 PM EST

MSU
75
UCLA
62
F
Dayt
84
Kansas
90
F(OT)
UNC
76
Bama
67
F
Maine
26
UVA
46
F
Gonz
94
USM
69
F
Seton
69
Oreg
71
F
NE
79
Web
69
F
LoyIL
68
ODU
61
F
Bry
54
WCU
78
F
Mich
83
IaSt
76
F
TN-M
76
Boston
73
F
ColSt
79
WaSt
69
F
Drake
63
Murr
53
F
SCSt
47
Tuls
78
F
UNCC
78
GASt
81
F(OT)
StLou
64
BC
54
F
MsVl
50
N AL
73
F
TexAr
57
Furm
58
F
GWebb
67
N CO
62
F
Manh
64
URI
73
F
Mia-O
66
WriSt
71
F
SoFL
67
Nebras
74
F
Miss
74
PSU
72
F
Denv
64
SCla
81
F
SouthCar
72
NrthIA
78
F
KSU
60
Brad
73
F
(N/A)
44
Vermt
93
F
Hartfo
58
SMU
90
F
Niag
54
IPFW
77
F
(N/A)
67
YSU
93
F
(N/A)
62
RobM
102
F
Norf
71
Monm
75
F
Stony
61
Del
75
F
USA
76
LaSal
81
F(OT)
NMSt
64
GMas
68
F
SEMO
57
CS-Ful
64
F
Alc
50
ArkLR
67
F
OkSt
86
Syr
72
F
(N/A)
71
Valpa
98
F
Samf
77
SDSt
86
F
Pitt
72
NW
59
F
WichSt
63
WVU
75
F
UGA
80
Chami
77
F
ECen
71
UTEP
91
F
(N/A)
43
IdaSt
102
F
SDak
84
CBU
83
F
PorSt
70
UCSB
81
F
Hof
69
USD
79
F
SJSU
48
OrSt
83
F
VaTec
77
BYU
90
F

Nov 27, 2019, 7:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

(8) Gonzaga

53

41

94

Southern Miss

32

37

69

Kispert, No. 8 Gonzaga top Southern Miss 94-69 at Atlantis
Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:05 AM

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) The shots started falling again for Corey Kispert. It was a welcome sign for No. 8 Gonzaga, especially considering the uncertain status of one of its top players.

Kispert broke loose from a brutal three-game shooting funk to match his career high with 28 points and hit seven 3-pointers as the Zags beat Southern Miss 94-69 in Wednesday night's first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Joel Ayayi added a career-high 21 points to go with 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs (7-0), who had no trouble against a team picked to finish last in Conference USA.

Gonzaga didn't have 6-foot-10 senior Killian Tillie, a preseason all-West Coast Conference pick who recently returned from an October knee surgery but isn't back to full strength. Coach Mark Few said Tillie's knee swelled up after the plane ride to the Bahamas for the three-games-in-three-days tournament at the Atlantis resort, so the team decided to be "very, very cautious" and that Tillie's status "truly is a gametime decision."

"I just think it's going to be like that, see how it starts reacting to him playing," Few said. "He played two games right before we left in like four days. I think the long plane ride might have led to it. It's just a matter of getting all that swelling out of it and we'll see what happens (Thursday)."

Tillie's absence didn't matter as much Wednesday night as Gonzaga made 20 of 29 shots (69%) and 7 of 10 3s in the opening half to lead 53-32 by the break against the Golden Eagles (2-4).

And Kispert's rediscovered shooting touch was at the heart of it. The 6-foot-7 junior had made just 3 of 24 shots and 2 of 17 3-pointers in the past three games, but hit 9 of 11 shots and 7 of 8 from behind the arc on Wednesday night.

"He didn't struggle tonight," Southern Miss coach Jay Ladner said. "My gosh, he put on a shooting clinic."

Kispert had four 3s by halftime and kept knocking them down, offering a smile toward the Gonzaga bench on at least one occasion after swishing yet another 3.

"It wasn't easy and it wasn't a lot of fun, man," Kispert said of the past three games. "It doesn't feel good to see the ball not go in. ... You've just got to trust the work you've put in, trust the hours you've done, not change a single thing and the ball's going to eventually start falling for you."

LaDavius Draine and Artur Konontsuk each scored 19 points to lead Southern Miss, which shot 44% and made 11 of 22 3-pointers for the game.

BIG PICTURE

Southern Miss: Ladner arrived knowing his team faced a step up in competition, noting that the game and the tournament overall is an opportunity to "experience what big-time Division I basketball is supposed to look like." The result was watching Gonzaga roll along and lead by 32 points midway through the second half.

Gonzaga: Getting Kispert going was a needed boost, while Ayayi made 9 of 12 shots and all three of his 3-point tries after entering the tournament averaging 6.7 points. Few is hoping that carries over into Thursday and Friday with Tillie's status in question.

BOUNCING BACK

Draine shook free of his own outside shooting struggles for Southern Miss, scoring 19 points and making 5 of 9 3-pointers after connecting on 6 of 26 through the team's first five games. Oddly enough, it came as he came off the bench for the first time this year - like when he was Conference USA's co-sixth man of the year last season while shooting 46% from behind the arc.

"It was great to see him get going," Ladner said. "He's a great kid, works hard, it was good to see him regain his confidence a little bit. That will certainly help us moving forward."

UP NEXT

Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles moved to the losers' bracket and will face No. 13 Seton Hall on Thursday.

Gonzaga: The Bulldogs advanced to the winners' bracket to face No. 11 Oregon on Thursday.

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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aaronbeardap

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Gonzaga PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
C. Kispert 28 0 0 2 1 0
J. Ayayi 21 0 6 12 0 0
Southern Miss PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
L. Draine 19 0 0 3 1 0
A. Konontsuk 19 0 1 5 0 1

Team Comparison

Gonz USM
Points For 94 69
Field Goals 34/59-58% 27/62-44%
Three Pointers 13/19-68% 11/22-50%
Free Throws 13/20-65% 4/6-67%
Offensive Rebounds 11 9
Defensive Rebounds 28 17
Rebounds 43 28
Blocks 4 1
Steals 4 7
Turnovers 15 13
Personal Fouls 10 15
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - Gonz Leads Series 1-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Wed Nov 27 Gonz 94 @ USM 69 C. Kispert 28 L. Draine 19

Game Information

Stadium: Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort, Nassau, Bahamas
Attendance: 1,459
Game Time: