Gonzaga star Braden Huff’s insane start vs. Campbell puts him alone in last 20 years with Bulldogs appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-1) made it look easy Wednesday night, cruising to a 98-70 win over the Campbell Fighting Camels (2-10) at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane. While the Kennel lacked its usual student-driven energy due to winter break, the night was electrified by a historic showing from redshirt junior Braden Huff.
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Huff had a night to remember, scoring a career-best 37 points on near-perfect 16-of-18 shooting, adding eight rebounds and a block in 33 minutes. Remarkably, he started the first half 12-for-12 from the field, joining 2020 National Player of the Year Luka Garza as the only Division I players in the past eight seasons to make 12 shots in a half without a miss, according to ESPN Research. He also became the first Gonzaga player in the last 20 years to start a game 13-for-13 from the floor, surpassing the previous school record of 10 consecutive field goals set by Ben Gregg last season at Portland. Huff’s first-half dominance, scoring 26 points alone, built a comfortable 55-36 halftime lead for Gonzaga.
Huff got plenty of help from graduate forward Graham Ike, who posted a near triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in only 22 minutes. Ike’s playmaking, particularly feeding Huff in high-low situations, allowed the Bulldogs to sustain offensive efficiency even when Ike eventually sat due to foul trouble. This duo combined for 40 first-half points, establishing Gonzaga’s advantage in the paint 64-38 over Campbell.
Steele Venters also made a statement in his return after missing the previous two seasons due to ACL and Achilles injuries. The 6’7 senior finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and contributed three steals. Early in the second half, Venters electrified the crowd with a one-handed dunk following a pump fake. Braeden Smith scored 11 points, rounding out a well-balanced Gonzaga attack.
Campbell kept the game close at times, thanks to Dovydas Butka’s 19 points and DJ Smith’s 18 points and five steals. The Camels got as close as 72-62 midway through the second half, but the Bulldogs quickly turned it around with a 15-2 run, including two huge threes from Venters, to pull away with a 28-point win. Campbell couldn’t find the bottom of the net from deep, hitting just 5-of-23 attempts, while Gonzaga shot 57.6% overall, including 5-of-11 from three-point range. The Bulldogs also made the most of the Camels’ mistakes, turning 20 turnovers into a 32-point advantage.
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With the win, Gonzaga improved to 11-1 and will next face the Oregon Ducks in Portland on Sunday.
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