No. 2 Gonzaga shuts down Pacific for 20th victory

Feb 5, 2022; Provo, Utah, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few reacts during the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Feb 5, 2022; Provo, Utah, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few reacts during the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Rasir Bolton scored a season-high 20 points, making 4-of-6 3-point attempts, to lead second-ranked Gonzaga to an 89-51 victory against Pacific in a West Coast Conference game Thursday night in Spokane, Wash.

Julian Strawther scored 15 points for the Bulldogs (20-2, 9-0 WCC), who reached 20 wins for the 25th consecutive season. Chet Holmgren had 14 points and six rebounds and Drew Timme added 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds as Gonzaga won its nation-leading 65th consecutive home game.

Andrew Nembhard was the only Gonzaga starter not to finish in double-digit scoring — he had nine points.

The Zags won their 18th consecutive game in the series between the schools and improved to 20-1 all-time against Pacific, the lone loss coming in 1976.

Alphonso Anderson led Pacific (7-17, 2-7) with 16 points and eight rebounds. Sam Freeman added 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field for the Tigers, who dropped to 0-11 on the road this season.

Bolton, a transfer from Iowa State, shot 8 of 11 from the field, grabbed four rebounds and added three assists, which tied for the team lead.

Gonzaga used a 7-0 run to take a 19-6 lead with 15:37 left in the first half. Holmgren started the run with a turnaround jumper in the lane and Strawther capped it with a 3-pointer off a Pacific turnover and a second-chance layup.

The Zags led by as many as 20 points in the half, 46-26, on a 3-pointer by Holmgren with 1:26 left.

Gonzaga’s biggest lead of the game was 40 points, 74-34, with 8:19 remaining.

The Bulldogs shot 51.5 percent from the field (35 of 68), including 11 of 28 from 3-point range. The Tigers were limited to 31.3 percent shooting (20 of 64) and were just 3 of 21 from beyond the arc.

Gonzaga had a 46-35 rebounding edge and outscored Pacific 13-2 in second-chance points and 10-0 on the fast break.

–Field Level Media

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