Gonzaga easily beats Santa Clara
Zach Norvell Jr. scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half, and Gonzaga bounced back from its first conference loss of the season to defeat host Santa Clara 75-60 on Saturday.
Josh Perkins added 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting, Rui Hachimura scored 16 points and Killian Tillie had 12. Johnathan Williams had nine points and eight boards for Gonzaga (17-4, 7-1 WCC), including his 400th career rebound.
“They have so many weapons and they score inside and out and even when they miss the get on the boards,” Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek said. “They’re an outstanding team. They don’t have any weak links on the floor.”
Two days after a 74-71 home loss to St. Mary’s that ended Gonzaga’s six-game winning streak, the Bulldogs had trouble shaking the pesky Broncos (7-13, 4-4) until Norvell found his stroke after halftime.
KJ Feagin scored 21 points for the Broncos.
A layup by Feagin and a three-pointer from Henrik Jadersten pulled the Broncos within 54-46 with 12 minutes left, but Gonzaga reeled off the next 12 points with 10 coming in the paint. Hachimura sandwiched a pair of layups around a Tillie dunk and layup by Norvell Jr. USF 80, Pepperdine 73: Frankie Ferrari had 22 points and six assists to lead the host Dons past the Waves.
USF (11-10, 3-5 WCC) snapped a three-game skid while Pepperdine (3-17, 0-8) has lost 11 in a row.
Ferrari was 6-for-16 from the floor and made 7 of 10 free throws. Jordan Ratinho added 14 points and Jamaree Bouyea had 13 for the Dons. Ferrari, Ratinho and Bouyea each made three from long range.
Kameron Edwards scored 18 points and Colbey Ross had 15 to lead Pepperdine.
Bouyea made three consecutive three-pointers, and Erik Poulsen and Ferrari each hit threes and the Dons led 55-50. Ratinho’s threepointer stretched USF’s lead to 62-55. A threepoint shot from Ross pulled the Waves to 6865, but they got no closer.