Tillie helps Gonzaga hold off UT Arlington
The Gonzaga crowd roared when Killian Tillie was announced in the starting lineup Tuesday night.
It boomed again when Tillie sank a 3-pointer for the Zags’ first points.
“It felt good,” said Tillie, who finished with 15 points and eight rebounds as No. 8 Gonzaga held off Texas-Arlington 72- 66.
Ryan Woolridge had 19 points and nine rebounds for Gonzaga (5- 0), while Admon Gilder added 15 points and Filip Petrusev had 10.
Tillie sat out much of last season with injuries and missed the first four games of this season while recovering from knee surgery.
“I’m a little tired and out of shape,” Tillie said. “I tried to step up and make some points.”
This proved to be the toughest test of the young season for the Zags.
Texas-Arlington played stout defense and made some big shots at the end to stay close.
“At times we responded well and other times we didn’t,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said, pointing to four 3-pointers by TexasArlington in the closing minutes.
“We are definitely a work in progress,” Few said after the Bulldogs, one of the best-shooting teams in the country, were held to 39% from the field. DELAIRE SCORES CAREERHIGH 21 IN STANFORD’S WIN >> Jaiden Delaire scored a career-high 21 points, Oscar da Silva added 16 points, and Stanford beat Maryland Eastern Shore 76-55 in the team’s first ever meeting at Maples Pavilion.
Spencer Jones added 12 points, all on 3-pointers, for the Cardinal (5- 0), which is off to its best start in eight years. Tyrell Terry netted 10 points.
The Cardinal has a game remaining on its season- opening six-game homestand.
DIAKITE, NO. 7 VIRGINIA HOLD OFF VERMONT >> Mamadi Diakite scored 19 points, and No. 7 Virginia withstood a 3-point shooting display by Anthony Lamb and beat Vermont 61- 55 at home. The Cavaliers (4- 0) trailed before Diakite’s basket gave them a 50- 49 lead with 5:12 left and sparked a 9- 0 run. Lamb scored 30 for Vermont (4-1).
USF IMPROVES TO 5-0 WITH ROUT >> Charles Minlend scored 19 points, and Jamaree Bouyea added 17 points and eight assists to lead USF (5- 0) to a 100-70 romp over Cal State Bakersfield at Memorial Gym. SANTA CLARA ROLLS >> DJ Mitchell, Guglielmo Caruso and Trey Wertz all scored 14 points, and Mitchell added 10 rebounds as host Santa Clara breezed to a 101- 54 victory over Division II Notre Dame de Namur. Tahj Eady contributed 13 points for the Broncos (41). All 12 players scored for Santa Clara.
Ajay Singh scored a game-high 20 points for the Argonauts.
OKONGWU SCORES 33 AS
USC RALLIES TO BEAT PEPPERDINE >> Onyeka Okongwu scored a careerhigh 33 points, and Nick Rakocevic had 16 points and 11 rebounds as USC recovered from an early pair of double- digit deficits to beat visiting Pepperdine (3-2) 91- 84. The Trojans improved to 5- 0 for the first time in three years behind Okongwu’s fourth double- digit scoring effort of the season. Jonah Mathews added 16 points, and Isaiah Mobley had 14.
MICHIGAN STATE’S WINSTON: ‘I LOST A PIECE OF MY HEART’ >> Michigan State guard Cassius Winston, still mourning the death of his younger brother, told the crowd at the Breslin Center after Monday night’s 94- 46 home win over Charleston Southern how appreciative he is of their support.
Zachary Winston was struck and killed by a train in Albion, Michigan, on Nov. 9. The 19-year- old was a sophomore on the Albion College basketball team.