Drew Timme and Julian Strawther combine for 62 points, Gonzaga defeats Pepperdine
Drew Timme and Julian Strawther combined for 62 points to help No. 13 Gonzaga (23-5, 12-2 WCC) secure a 97-88 victory over Pepperdine (9-19, 2-12) on Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California.
Gonzaga's offense got going early on, but couldn't create separation from the Waves, who remained competitive behind the scoring efforts of Houston Mallette.
Mallette had 13 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer he launched in transition to give Pepperdine a 26-21 lead with roughly nine minutes remaining before halftime.
The Zags didn't take long to regroup, pulling ahead on a 6-0 scoring run that was capped off by a layup from Julian Strawther. On Gonzaga's next two possesions, Strawther finished another layup and drilled a 3-pointer, which kept his team ahead 32-30.
The junior guard scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the first half, with his final bucket coming on a 3-pointer he made while being fouled with four seconds remaining until halftime. Gonzaga went into the break with a 50-42 lead.
The Waves kept it close once play resumed, as they limited Strawther to nine points on 2-of-7 shooting in the second half.
But just when Gonzaga's offensive production seemed to dry up, forward Drew Timme scored 10 consecutive points to keep his team ahead 78-70.
Pepperdine continued to hang around until Rasir Bolton nailed a 3-pointer to put the Zags up by seven points with a minute remaining.
Timme was Gonzaga's leading scorer with 34 points on 15-of-20 shooting. He also had seven rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes.
Strawther had 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting, while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out a pair of assists.
Mallette led the Waves with 22 points, followed by Maxwell Lewis and Jevon Porter, who both scored 20.
Gonzaga's win wrapped up a two-game road trip in Southern California, which began with a 108-65 win over Loyola Marymount on Thursday.
The Zags host San Diego on Thursday.
