Timme Gonzaga led with 25 points and 7 rebounds, and Holmgren added 11 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks, but they weren’t getting enough help from their teammates.
“We needed Chet to stay there a little longer,” said little about Holmgren, who was not among the three Gonzaga players who attended the post-match press conference.
The rims at Chase Center weren’t quite as nice as Arkansas and Gonzaga as they are to the regular residents of the circuit – Stephen Curry, Clay Thompson and the rest of the Golden State Warriors. For much of the night, 3 heads rumbled off the rims and the runners took it. Neither team fired free throws with anything resembling efficiency.
When Gonzaga found himself trailing in the first half, 32-29, he was not an uncommon place in this tournament. The 16th-ranked Zags led Georgia State by just 4 points midway through the second half before winning in a defeat. They slipped past Memphis by 12 points early in the second half before narrowly collecting a victory.
The Zags team uncharacteristically had trouble registering with extensions.
The nation’s most effective attack went nearly four minutes without scoring in the first half, allowing Arkansas to recover from a 27-19 deficit, a period Gonzaga never recovered from. The culprit was intermittent 3-point shooting. Chet Holmgren, a 3-point shooter with 43.8 percent of the regular season, made only 2 of 16 3-pointers in Gonzaga’s five post-season games. Julian Strother, who featured in the tournament shooting 39.6 percent with three throws, had only 3-pointers in the tournament on Thursday and finished 1 to 14.
“At the end of the day, no matter how great a shooter you are, you’re going to miss shots,” Holmgren said on Wednesday. “You can’t lose confidence. I go to the gym every day and work on my shots, so the next time I shoot that shot, I know it’s going to come in.”
Holmgren, who is expected to be among the top picks in the NBA draft, faced an even more pressing problem against Arkansas – staying on the field.
Elizabeth Barrett is a contributor to OE Mag, covering news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current affairs and developments that matter to them. Her work highlights relevant stories, emerging trends, and key issues, presenting them in a balanced, accessible, and reader-friendly way.