LAHAINA >> The Maui Invitational got its dream matchup.
When Gonzaga came back from 13 points down early in the second half and beat Arizona 91-74 in Tuesday’s second semifinal, it set up a coveted final between top-three teams in today’s noon championship at the Lahaina Civic Center.
“Another wild night in Lahaina. I’ve had a lot of those, but this one was definitely memorable,” Zags coach Mark Few said. “Unbelievable job by our guys. We flipped the switch and guarded much, much better in the second half. Took care of the ball and pushed it.”
The Bulldogs (5-0) of the West Coast Conference started switching at every position on defense, which threw off the previously unbeaten Wildcats (4-1).
Forward Rui Hachimura scored 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead GU. Guard Zach Norvell Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds in playing all 40 minutes.
No. 1 Duke is 17-0 on Maui and has won the Wayne Duke Trophy five times, most recently in 2011. No.3 Gonzaga, the 2009 champion, is 10-4 here.
“Anytime you can play a top opponent like that, as a competitor you’re really excited,” Norvell said.
17-year-old rallies Cyclones to victory
Iowa State freshman Talen Horton-Tucker played beyond his years in Iowa State’s 84-68 win over Illinois in the consolation semifinals.
Horton-Tucker, 17, is listed by ISU as the fourth-youngest player in Division I basketball. He turns 18 on Sunday.
The husky 6-4, 233-pound guard put the Talen in talent, compiling 26 points on 8-for-14 shooting, with 14 rebounds and six assists. He spurred a 22-5 run coming out of the break.
“Age is just a number,” Horton-Tucker said. “I just take it every day, learning from what Coach (Steve Prohm) tells me to do and learning from my older teammates. So I just feel like I’ve been prepared to go through the storm and get out of it.”
Fisher in house as SDSU picks up win
Steve Fisher, 73, the winningest coach in San Diego State history, was on hand in the Lahaina Civic Center to watch his successor Brian Dutcher and the Aztecs defeat Xavier 79-74 in the consolation semifinals. Dutcher was an assistant coach to Fisher for some 18 years, and the head coach in waiting since 2011. He took over in 2017.
Fisher’s Aztecs won the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in his final season — 2016-17, in which SDSU went 19-14.
Maui a who’s who of hoops royalty
Everywhere you looked in the Lahaina Civic Center, there was a familiar face.
Bill Walton on the broadcast. David Robinson in the stands. Vlade Divac and Danny Ainge along the baseline, representing the Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics front offices. Former Maui MVP Mike Dunleavy Jr. taking notes for the Golden State Warriors.
Jason Justus, a former Iowa State forward who is the head coach at Lahainaluna, also made the rounds.
