Difference makers: Gonzaga’s Anton Watson reaches 1,000-point club, delivers career-high 32 points in win over UCLA

Anton Watson

Watson hadn’t done much in the way of offensive production in his first three career games against UCLA, scoring 10 combined points in the 2020-21 Final Four, a 2021-22 nonconference game in Las Vegas and last year’s Sweet 16. Watson reached that total less than seven minutes into the latest iteration of Gonzaga-UCLA and was outscoring the Bruins by himself until the 6-minute, 34-second mark of the first half. Watson, who’s constantly urged by coaches and teammates to be more aggressive on the offensive end, didn’t seem to need many reminders on Wednesday. After sitting for a large chunk of the first half with foul trouble, the fifth-year senior and Gonzaga Prep product picked up where he left off after the break. Watson had every field goal by a Gonzaga player for a stretch that lasted more than 12 minutes in the second half and the forward finished with a career-high 32 points on 14 of 15 shooting – his previous high of 23 coming against Portland – to go with seven rebounds and two steals. 

Ryan Nembhard

Watson probably deserved both slots while shattering his carer-high and reaching 1,000 career nights, but we’ll give the other to Gonzaga’s point guard, who overcame a rough start in the first half to finish with 12 points, four assists and three rebounds. Most important, Nembhard cut down on his turnovers, committing just one in the second half after turning the ball over four times through the game’s opening 20 minutes. Nembhard wasn’t particularly efficient shooting the ball, making just 3 of 10 shots from the field, but he was perfect from the free throw line, making 6 of 6 on a night when the rest of his teammates were just 11 of 23. 

Turning point

No shocker here, our first choice for the difference maker was also responsible for most of the key Gonzaga sequences Wednesday in Honolulu. After UCLA closed the deficit to two points early in the second half, Nolan Hickman drilled a 3-pointer to extend the lead back to five points. Then Watson took over. The Gonzaga forward made it 49-42 with a hook shoot, knocked down his second 3-pointer of the game to make it 53-42 and proceeded to score the Bulldogs’ next seven points – including another 3-ball – to make it 60-51. During a 10-minute stretch in the second half, Watson was responsible for 11 consecutive Gonzaga field goals, with the Bulldogs’ only other points during that span coming on free throws from Ryan Nembhard and Hickman. Watson was also involved in a key defensive play during that run, taking an elbow from standout UCLA forward Adem Bona, who was whistled for his fourth foul on the play.