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No. 11 Gonzaga upsets No. 3 Roosevelt in the Hoophall Classic

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby:Lawrence Fernandez•about 11 hours•

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Alex Touomou - Gonzaga Eagles at the Hoophall Classic
Gonzaga (DC) forward Alex Touomou (24). © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Gonzaga Eagles dominated the Roosevelt Mustangs in their Hoophall Classic matchup 73-55. This victory improved Gonzaga’s record to 17-2, while Roosevelt suffered only their second loss in 25 games.

This result is a monumental upset because Gonzaga is ranked 11th in the National On3 Composite Team Rankings. Meanwhile, Roosevelt is the nation’s third-best team behind Columbus and Harvard-Westlake.

Harvard commit Alex Touomou led all scorers with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Four other Gonzaga players scored in double digits, including Derek Dixon with 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists. William Harper had 12 points, two rebounds, and three assists, while Christian Gurdak had 11 points and 18 rebounds. Nykolas Lewis added 11 points, ten assists, and six rebounds.

After a slim 32-30 halftime lead at their Hoophall Classic encounter, Steve Turner’s crew pulled away in the second half. The Eagles finished the third quarter 19-13 and the final quarter 22-12 to complete the 18-point winning margin. Gonzaga led by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter, thanks to a cumulative 18-2 run over two stretches in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles converted 52.8 percent of their field goals, including nine of 18 three-pointers. They shot a whopping 70 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and converted five of six free throws. Likewise, Gonzaga led in second-chance points (12-4) and points in the paint (36-28).

The Eagles also led in rebounds (45-22) and assists (23-10). These advantages negated their 17 turnovers against the Mustangs’ four. While the game was close in the first half, Gonzaga led for all but three minutes throughout the game.

Conversely, Roosevelt shot a disappointing 36.5 percent (23 of 63), including only four out of 25 three-point attempts. As a consolation, Roosevelt had the edge in fastbreak points (12-4) and points off turnovers (20-5). Isaac Williamson led the Mustangs with 15 points, while five-star prospect Brayden Burries added 14.

After this Hoophall Classic game, Gonzaga will face St. John’s, the District of Columbia’s third-best team, on Jan. 24. Meanwhile, Roosevelt can bounce back against the Corona Panthers on Jan. 23.