Gonzaga's #DrewTimme Scores 17 in Potential Home Finale

Gonzaga's #DrewTimme Scores 17 in Potential Home Finale

Gonzaga's Drew Timme has built on the success of his junior season. On Wednesday night, the 6-foot-10, 235-pound power forward scored 17 points in what could be a crucial home finale for No. 10 Bulldogs against Chicago State.

He is an integral part of Gonzaga's team that should again be among the contenders for the national title next April. A skilled passer, efficient scorer and capable defender, he projects as a high end role player at the NBA level.

Points

Timme scored 17 points as Gonzaga held on for a 104-65 win against Chicago State in what may be his last home game at Kennel Club. The senior forward has been an integral part of No. 10 Gonzaga's success since his first season with them in 2021-22, helping them reach both national title games two years ago and reach the Sweet 16 last year.

Timme's career scoring total of 2,158 is eighth in WCC history, while his 841 rebounds rank 22nd. The Richardson, Texas native has been a steady presence on the Bulldogs bench this season with an average of 11.6 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 3.2 assists per game.

Timme made his 99th start and joined Frank Burgess as the only players to rank among the top 10 for both career scoring and rebounding at Gonzaga. He sits second on the program's all-time scoring list with 21 points behind Burgess.

Timme is on track to lead Gonzaga in both categories this season, despite missing most of the first half with an injury. Despite missing most of his teammates' games this season, Timme's rebounds and assists have continued to accumulate for the Bulldogs, who are expected to be one of the nation's top teams in 2019-20.

For the third consecutive season, the Bulldogs won the West Coast Conference preseason poll and are considered favorites to win the league for the fourth time in five years. Timme and Rasir Bolton, as well as sophomore guard Julian Strawther who was named to the WCC's preseason all-conference team.

After a slow start to the season, the Tigers have found their footing. On Wednesday against BYU they snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory. Junior Kadie Deaton (North Dakota State transfer) scored 15 points while freshman Santiago Vescovi added 10 in his second career start.

Maintaining their momentum will be a tough challenge for the Tigers. At least one of their next six games must be on the road, with Gonzaga and Portland expected to be their opponents.

Rebounds

Gonzaga boasts a formidable front line, and Timme is no exception. He leads the Bulldogs with 21.2 points per game and ranks in the top 100 for rebounding percentage with double-digit games in 19 of his 19 games this season - leading Gonzaga's frontline!

He has scored at least 14 points in each of the last two games and been a force against opposing front lines. His 57 points during those contests is his second-best consecutive-game point total in career -- behind only his 30 and 32 point games streaks during conference play this year.

Timme has been instrumental in Montana's offensive success this season, sparking their scoring surge in the second half. They are 16-0 when leading by 10 or more at halftime. He's been an important factor in No. 10's success this year and will likely remain so for this potential home finale against Nebraska at 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs are averaging more than 82 points per game, despite shooting just over 50 percent from the field. Additionally, they're shooting an impressive 39 percent from three-point range with Julian Strawther ranking second on the team with 13.0 points per game.

Gonzaga's offensive lineup is strengthened by Brynnna Maxwell, a Utah transfer who has been an impressive shooter this season. She ranks first nationally in both 3-point and free throw accuracy while scoring 14.8 points per game for her team.

The Bulldogs' front court will face another tough test in this game against Baylor (6-2), coming off of its loss to Marquette and without its two best players: senior guard Flo Thamba who has missed all four games this season due to injury and junior forward DeAndre Jordan who had 13 points and 12 rebounds but missed the first half due to foul trouble. But Baylor isn't alone; Purdue (3-5) travels to No. 5 Texas while Missouri and Kentucky both play at The Kennel.

Assists

Gonzaga senior forward Drew Timme scored 17 points in what appears to be his final home game as a Bulldog. The Richardson, Texas native has yet to announce whether or not he plans on returning for another season after receiving extra eligibility by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Timme was one of six double-figure scorers as Gonzaga rallied past 36 points from freshman Brandon Miller to defeat Alabama 100-90 Saturday in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham. Alabama (12-2) had won four straight and defeated two No. 1 teams to earn their highest ranking in 15 years, but Timme and his veteran Bulldogs (9). kept Alabama off balance until the second half with their veteran presence and scoring prowess.

The Bulldogs, ranked 10th by the AP, held Alabama to a season low of 36 percent shooting from the field and 27.3% from 3-point range. Despite the setback, Timme and his Zags remain on track for finishing off the regular season on a three-game winning streak.

At halftime, Gonzaga led 42-28 after Nolan Hickman hit two 3-pointers and Rasir Bolton scored on a layup 20 seconds into the run. This marked the beginning of an 11-0 run that gave Gonzaga a 53-29 advantage with 17:44 remaining in the first half.

After the break, the Zags stretched their lead to as many as 40 points - 83-43 - with 9:11 remaining. This lead did not decline below 16 points the rest of the way.

On Monday night at Bert Ogden Arena, Texas tied a program record by defeating the highest-ranked AP opponent 93-74. UT made 51.5 percent of their field goals and 13-of-33 (.394) from three-point range while holding Gonzaga to 17 assists on 34 made field goals and forcing 20 turnovers - setting an AP conference record.

Timme is a familiar face for Tennessee as his hometown is Richardson, Texas - 25 minutes south of Frisco. In two games against the Vols, he's averaged 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest. Additionally, his brother Efton Reid III recently transferred to Gonzaga University after four years at Tennessee.

Blocks

On Wednesday night, Timme scored 17 points to lead Gonzaga to a 104-65 victory against Chicago State - his final home game as a Bulldog. This marks his average of 21.2 points (on 61.6 percent shooting from the field), 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals in 31.7 minutes per game over 30 appearances this season.

This triumph capped off a week in which the Bulldogs won seven straight games to avoid missing the West Coast Conference tournament for the first time since 2013-2014. They finished the regular season at 26-5 and will play in Monday's semifinal matchup of the WCC championship.

Timme not only had an impressive performance in the paint, but he also blocked four shots - tying his career high. As one of college basketball's top defensive players, he ranks ninth nationally in blocks per game with 1.6.

His success has been due to his impressive free-throw shooting percentage of 84.6, which ranks fifth in the league and leads all players in rebounding. A major factor in his rise has been his impressive free-throw percentage; he averaged 20.7 attempts per game. It is no wonder why he's making such a strong case for being named Pac-12 player of the year; with such an impressive stat line and leading rebounding in the conference, there is no way but up for this honor!

He has proven to be a formidable shot blocker this season, with opponents only making 40 percent of their 2s against him this season. Additionally, his sense of the game and ability to make plays for teammates has been showcased when he assisted on three offensive rebounds against Chicago State.

In the second half, he helped lead Gonzaga in scoring with an efficient 11-of-19 shooting performance from the floor and 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. Additionally, he knocked down two 3-pointers and threw down a one-handed slam to spark a 20-2 run that put the game away for Gonzaga.

Timme was joined by junior Evan Mobley, who scored 14 points and added eight rebounds; senior Malachi Smith who scored 10 of his 11 in the first half; and junior Jonny Gray with nine points and six assists in 31 minutes. With this win, Gonzaga claimed its seventh consecutive victory over Texas since 2006-07.