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Angel Nunez, Gonzaga’s difference-maker?

Saint Mary's v Gonzaga

<> at McCarthey Athletic Center on January 2, 2014 in Spokane, Washington.

William Mancebo

Przemek Karnowski finished with 15 points, nine boards and seven blocks to lead four players in double figures as No. 24 Gonzaga knocked off St. Mary’s 73-51 on Thursday night in the Kennel.

Yes, the Zags won by 22 points.

Yes, they did it without Gary Bell Jr. in the lineup and with Sam Dower doing, quite literally, nothing in the seven minutes that he played.

And no, the game was not as close as the final score would indicate. The Zags were up by 30 at one point, and Gonzaga didn’t allow St. Mary’s to hit a three or notch their first assist until the game was in garbage time.

In a word, this was a beatdown, one that isn’t all that surprising once you consider just how poorly the Gaels played out in Hawaii.

But that’s not what’s intriguing to me.

Louisville transfer Angel Nunez is. He went for 13 points and eight boards in the win and is now averaging 9.0 points and 5.3 boards in just 13.3 minutes in the three games for the Zags. The 6-foot-8, 200 pound forward brings a different dimension to the Gonzaga front court. He’s athletic, he can defend, he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He may not be Elias Harris, but there aren’t many players in the WCC that can match up with Nunez.

And given the issues that Mark Few has on his front line, continued production from Nunez could make all the difference in the world for Gonzaga.

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