Gonzaga rewind: Efton Reid stays course, gets rewarded in second half of Eastern Oregon romp

Dec. 30—Matt Kemp has faced two renditions of Gonzaga in his two years as Eastern Oregon's basketball coach.

The first one beat his NAIA Mountaineers 115-62 in a preseason exhibition. The second one blew past EOU 120-42 on Wednesday, setting program records for margin of defeat (78 points) and total field goals made (51).

Kemp tends to think last year's GU team would have the edge if the two Bulldogs squads chose to settle things on the court, but he also acknowledged the margins are razor thin.

"They bring back pretty much four starting-level players it looked like. I think last year, (Andrew) Nembhard, he's a little bit of a different animal. He's obviously proven now, he's an NBA guy," Kemp said. "But their size across the board is tough. I thought last year they were probably better, but it's probably all the same. What do I know?

In our first post-holiday rewind, we take a look at Efton Reid's impact off GU's bench in the Bulldogs' latest win, the significance of Wednesday's game from EOU's standpoint and Drew Timme's continued ascent up the school record books.

Reid's patience pays

Seated to Reid's left in a postgame news conference, Timme let out an audible, "Jesus," when a reporter informed the duo Gonzaga's sophomore center had scored more points in the second half (16) than Eastern Oregon's team did (14).

Reid, in his first season with the Zags, has adjusted to a different role after starting all 34 games for an LSU team that won 22 games and made the NCAA Tournament in 2021-22.

The 7-footer was part of every starting lineup former LSU coach Will Wade rolled out last season and he averaged 19.6 minutes per game. One year later, Reid's the fourth member of Gonzaga's frontcourt rotation, behind proven veteran starters Timme and Anton Watson, along with reserve forward Ben Gregg, who has a 1 1/2 -year advantage on Reid when it comes to time in Few's system and stretches the floor with 3-point shooting.

"Man, I wasn't used to it," Reid said. "I had to really take a step back and see it from a different perspective because last year I started every game. So it's kind of been like, 'Dang, I started every game last year and now I don't get a chance to even play.'

"So it's just me staying level-headed and working on my game every day like I do. Go in the weight room, lift, work out, do my shots and just staying consistent with it. That's what I do, it's the standard for me."

As expected, Reid's minutes ballooned Wednesday.

Averaging 5.8 minutes per game, Reid played 19 minutes against the Mountaineers while matching his career high — set during his college debut against Louisiana Monroe — by scoring 16 points. Reid finished 8 of 8 from the field, scoring on high-percentage dunks and close-range layups against smaller EOU defenders.

Reid also had two rebounds and a blocked shot.

While acknowledging the Zags weren't playing a team equipped to handle their size, GU coach Mark Few still commended the sophomore for being in the right position most of the time. Timme praised Reid, saying it was good "to especially have this dude finally just turn it on and do what we see every day."

Difference maker

Eastern Oregon's two trips to Spokane over the past 15 months have resulted in two losses by a combined 131 points. That's not an easy thing to stomach for anyone playing college basketball at a competitive level, but the Mountaineers are generally able to look past the box score and focus on the bigger picture of what these opportunities mean for their players and program at large.

"Last year, we had some major injuries and I don't even remember the second half," Kemp said. "They're good either way. It's a pretty cool environment and it's cool for our guys. No one really likes getting beat by 80, no matter if you never played or you're one of our main players, but we accomplished what we wanted."

With important conference games on the horizon, the Mountaineers opted to keep their leading scorer, North Idaho College product Phillip Malatare, on the bench and staring at a 30-point deficit at halftime, EOU's starters didn't play much in the second half, making way for younger players who are seldom used in NAIA games.

"I think just the environment is a little different," Kemp said. "You kind of have this feeling, if you can execute and run your stuff against that type of length and that environment, you feel like you can do it anywhere. So I like that aspect, then it's just a financial thing.

"They're able to pay us a little bit to come out here and make it worth it. This environment for some of these guys is different than anything they'll get to see in their life."

The Mountaineers got out of Spokane healthy after suffering three injuries in last year's game at the Kennel.

"If we can leave healthy, which we are tonight, then it's just all about that experience," Kemp said. "Like I tell them, just kind of breathe it in. In 30 years, you'll forget you lost by 10. You won't forget this."

Kemp didn't disclose how much EOU earned from the games , but the second-year coach assured the opportunities can go a long way toward funding different aspects of the NAIA program in La Grande.

"It's a huge deal for our program," he said. "It's a big deal because we don't even have full-time assistants, so we can pay assistants. It can pay for more recruiting costs, but it's pretty significant for us. For sure."

More history for Timme

Timme moved past two Gonzaga greats on the school's all-time scoring list with 18 points in 17 minutes Wednesday night.

The All-American forward jumped No. 6 Matt Santangelo in the first half and passed No. 5 Kevin Pangos with his final basket of the second half to move into the school's all-time top five.

"That was crazy and I didn't even know I was that high up," Timme said. "(Pangos) was a helluva player and just to be in top five in Gonzaga history with all the players that have come through is pretty ... sweet.

"It's kind of surreal. It's something I won't really — it's cool, but it's something I really won't be able to appreciate I feel like until I'm gone. So, it's quite the ordeal."

Reid reacted to Timme's latest feat: "We just witnessed history. That's tough."

Timme's next target on the all-time list is Elias Harris. He needs 32 points to move past the ex-GU forward, who played from 2009-13, and 42 points to leap Adam Morrison and move into the top three.

For Timme to pass Frank Burgess and become Gonzaga's career scoring leader, he'll need to score 371 points in the Bulldogs' remaining games. Timme would reach that mark by the end of the regular season if he averages 21.8 points.

If the Zags play two games in the WCC Tournament and at least one at the NCAA Tournament, Timme would need to average 18.5 points the rest of the way.