Finally getting some time to look at the box score and type on a keyboard...
Statistically CU and Gonzaga were pretty close:
FG: 52% (zags) to 49%. CU made 1 more shot in getting 7 more total shots.
3s: 38% to 41% CU made 14 compared to 11. Watching the game it SEEMED like Gonzaga hit a better % than that. In the second they got a bunch of long rebounds on 3s so that may be why.
Rebounds: 12 offensive, 29 Defensive to 11 and 22 for CU. Gonzaga rebounded 37.5% of their misses while CU got 29% of their own...pretty good number for the jays really. I'd like to keep that number down to about 25% but Gonzaga was quite a bit bigger than CU.
Both teams had 8 turnovers. They had 3 blocks, CU had 2.
Really even game until you get to free throws. They were 22-27 and CU was 6-10. That was really the difference in the game. I'm not saying it was refs either. Overall I think it was officiated fine. A couple dumb calls both ways. Not sure what the Kramplj technical was all about.
With 2:17 to go Gonzaga led 90-85. Still a ball game. From there CU just couldn't get a stop without fouling on the next possession and then they couldn't get a shot to go down on their next. Game over. Gonzaga made pretty much all their FTs from then on.
CU had no answer for Hachimura (22pts) and Brandon Clarke (27 on 9-12 FG and 9-11 FTs). Those guys could pretty much get what they wanted when they wanted it. Norvell went for 28 and hit 6 3s. But I don't normally mind forcing a guy to pump up 21 shots and 17 3s to get his but he got 23 of his 28 in the second. Without him catching fire CU wins. From CU's perspective it also didn't hurt that Killiam Tillie...GU big guy averaging 13 and 6...was out. He would have been a problem on both ends. So I'm not under any dilusions that CU is just a few breaks away from rolling with top 5 teams every night.
That said, CU wasn't outclassed. Alexander had 27 pushing his average to nearly 20/game. He's making 45% from 3. He needs to develop a drive game to compliment that shooting. But he has nearly quadrupled his scoring output from last year so... Jefferson had 15 and 9. CU would be in trouble without this guy. He's also a testament to the fact that a guy CAN be coached up to shoot better. As a frosh at New Mexico he was 9-42 from 3 and 24-49 from the line. This year he is 10-15 and 18-25 respectively. Mintz was mediocre, Zegarowski was better but neither were real difference makers. Ballock's shot was off. CU needed one more guy to compliment Alexander and Jefferson with a hot game and it just wasn't there.
To ever get to that "next level" CU needs to find a way to land a couple (hell, ONE!) guys like Hachimura or Clarke. I don't know what their recruiting rankings were out of HS but those two can play for anyone.