ALLSTATE MAUI INVITATIONAL

November 20, 2023

Mark Few

Ryan Nembhard

Graham Ike

SimpliFi Arena

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

Purdue - 73, Gonzaga - 63

MARK FEW: Why don't you guys start with some questions here. Fire away.

Q. When you guys struggled like that in the second half with your three-point shooting, at what point did you feel that start to really flow, because you started so well in the first half.

MARK FEW: Hey, look, I think if you looked at the threes we took they were all good shots. I think that's how you measure your threes. I mean, I don't know that we took any bad ones during that stretch. Obviously that was a fairly big factor.

I thought the bigger factor was we just turned the ball over too much in the second half. We can't do that. Took real good care of it in the first half, just tried to force action a little bit too much in the second half.

Q. So you guys went on a 18-6 run after Purdue started 6-0. What changed? And a question for you, you know, Gonzaga's had success throughout the years, what's been the key to that success?

MARK FEW: Well, those are two different spectrums there, so... (laughing).

Look, when you play Purdue, I watched our game last year against them and watching their games this year against Xavier, there's a lot of runs. There's a lot of runs in basketball. They jumped out, and I think Edey hit some really tough shots. Graham did a good job defending him. We were happy with that.

Then we settled down and got into some good offense and were able to make some shots, and then that's kind of how the ebb and flow of the game. Then we hit our dry spot there, pretty significant one there in the second part of that second half.

Q. For all three, but start with Coach, yesterday we talked about how this was one of the best fields we have seen, you've seen for an MTE. Could you talk about how the atmosphere -- to me it felt very March, that both teams had traveled well and there was the excitement, that kind of part of it, and just the talent matchup, and then certainly for Graham and Ryan as well the same question.

MARK FEW: No, hey, look, both fan bases are great. Our people love coming to the Maui, and even if it's in O'ahu, they love coming over here and we get great support, we get great road support. Obviously with the type of season Purdue had last year and the type that they're prepped for this year, I think they're getting great support also. But I think you'll see that out of the Kansas fans and some others, and that's the way it should be for a tournament as high caliber as this.

THE MODERATOR: That will do it. Thanks, Coach. Thanks, Ryan. Thanks, Graham.