Drew Timme's career-high 38 points leads No. 6 Gonzaga to 99-90 win over Pacific Tigers
Drew Timme poured in a career-high 38 points and No. 6 Gonzaga got back in the win column with a 99-90 road victory over Pacific on Saturday.
Following an upset to Loyola Marymount at home, the Zags (17-4, 6-1 WCC) bounced back to shoot 58.1% from the field in a game dominated by their frontcourt.
Anton Watson recorded his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds to go with four assists and two blocks. Rasir Bolton also poured in 16 points, while Julian Strawther put up 15 points and five rebounds.
For the Tigers (10-12, 3-4 WCC), they’ve dropped four of their last five outings following a 3-1 start to conference play. Keylan Boone scored 15 points while Jordan Ivy-Curry put up 17 off the bench.
After a back-and-forth first half, a dominant run from Timme helped the Zags seize momentum in the second half. The two-time All-American had his fingerprints all over a 14-2 run, including the final 12 points to make it a 61-49 ballgame.
Timme and Watson were too much for the Tigers to handle. Though it was a physical battle as expected, the Zags pounded Pacific on the boards, outrebounding them 32-22.
Three-point shooting was paramount early on, as the Tigers’ built a seven-point advantage following a 5-for-5 start from deep. The Zags, meanwhile, missed six of their first seven attempts from deep.
Mark Few’s squad flipped the script with an 8-0 run out of a timeout, and from there, it was a back-and-forth affair for the duration of the half.
Pacific continued to fire away from deep to the tune of 8-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half, nearly matching its season average of 8.7 3-pointers made per game.
Rather than get into a shootout, the Zags relied on their frontcourt to find ways to score. Timme finished the first half with a game-high 14 points, while Watson pitched in 10 points.
Bolton’s fadeaway at the buzzer made it a 47-47 ballgame heading into the break. Despite a 4-for-14 showing from deep, the Zags dominated inside with 32 points in the paint to the Tigers’ 14.
The offense clicked in the second half, shooting 70% from the field with 58 points coming from the paint.
Gonzaga is back in action next Saturday at Portland (11-11, 3-4 WCC). The Zags made 17 3-pointers to beat the Pilots 115-75 on Jan. 14 in Spokane.
