National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Gonzaga 73, Iowa State 71
When: 1:30 PM ET, Sunday, November 27, 2016
Where: HP Field House, Kissimmee, Florida
Officials: # Karl Hess, # Ramie Styons, # Olandis Poole
Attendance: 2941

Even up 18, Gonzaga coach Mark Few knew Iowa State was capable of a comeback. He was more certain his 11th-ranked Bulldogs would turn back the tide in a 73-71 win in the AdvoCare Invitational championship game at Orlando, Fla., on Sunday afternoon.

The No. 21 Cyclones (5-1) had a furious second-half rally but they fell short against the Bulldogs, who were led by tournament MVP Nigel Williams-Goss's 18 points. Iowa State fifth-year senior guard Deonte Burton scored 21 of his career-high 29 points in the second half to fuel the Cyclones' rally.

"They've got a bunch of seniors who have won a bunch of games," Few said. "They have a lot of pride. You very rarely win a game in a half. Burton got rolling and they did a good job getting him the game.

"Our guys showed some resiliency in the face of that. Iowa State flipped the switch, but we held on enough to win."

Gonzaga (6-0) missed its last 11 field-goal attempts over the final 5:40 and Iowa State also went cold, failing to convert in the last 3:02 by missing five shots. Gonzaga freshman forward Zach Collins made one of two free throws with 14 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a two-point lead.

Iowa State failed to get a shot off in time as guard Monte Morris' release of a 3-point shot was a split-second after the buzzer. The shot did not fall anyway.

"I am glad the coaches have confidence in me to be in there late and I was able to contribute," said Collins, who was one of five Gonzaga players to finish with at least nine points.

Gonzaga went 13 of 25 from 3-point range in the game. In the second half, the Bulldogs made only 7 of 24 shots (29.2 percent) from the field. They were 5 of 13 from 3-point range and 2 of 14 inside the arc.

Iowa State, which never led, shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, led by Burton's 9-of-15 performance. He also went 3 of 4 from 3-point range after halftime but his teammates were 0 for 5.

"At halftime, I stressed to our guys that we had to play smarter on the offensive end and tougher on the defensive end, and they did that," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said. "We just couldn't get shots to fall at the end. I'm proud of our guys for their effort putting ourselves in a position to win."

The Cyclones, who trailed 58-40 with 17:16 left in the second half, went on a 15-0 run behind 11 points from Burton. His 3-pointer with 13:16 left cut Gonzaga's lead to 58-55.

A 3-pointer by Williams-Goss and layup by forward Killian Tillie pushed the Bulldogs' lead up to 63-55 with 12:22 left.

Gonzaga, which had 11 turnovers in the second half, did not make a field goal again until 7:04 remained, on a layup by guard Josh Perkins. The Bulldogs led 67-61.

An 8-3 spurt by Iowa State, culminating on a jumper by Morris, cut Gonzaga's lead to 70-69 with 4:19 remaining. After Iowa State forward Merrill Holden made a basket and missed a free throw with 3:02 left, neither team scored until Collins made one of two free throws with 14 seconds left.

"We obviously can grow a lot from this game," said Few, whose team has never lost in this tournament in three separate times dating to 2008. "We struggled but the important thing is we managed to win. These early season tournaments are awesome opportunities for a team to grow.

"We played a high level of competition. Florida (semifinal opponent) and Iowa State are teams that will play in at least the second round of the NCAA tournament. We have gained a lot from this experience."

NOTES: Iowa State point guard Monte Morris has made 92 straight starts. He has a career 4.5 assists-to-turnover ratio. ... Iowa State has been ranked in the AP poll for 59 straight weeks, third-longest behind Kansas and Arizona. The Cyclones have made five straight NCAA tournaments. ... Gonzaga won for the third straight trip at this tournament in Orlando. The Zags also won the tournament titles in 2008 and 2012. They have a 9-0 record in the tournament, which used to be called the Old Spice Invitational.
Top Game Performances
 
Iowa State   Gonzaga
Deonte Burton 29 Scoring Nigel Williams-Goss 18
Monte Morris 9 Assists Przemek Karnowski 5
Deonte Burton 12 Rebounds Przemek Karnowski 8
Merrill Holden 2 Free Throws Made Zach Collins 4
Merrill Holden 1 Steals Josh Perkins 1
Deonte Burton 2 Blocks Przemek Karnowski 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Iowa State 71 43.9 8-24 5-8 13 33 4 2 6
Gonzaga 73 49.1 13-25 6-12 18 33 1 1 11