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Gonzaga continued its strong start to the season with a 73-66 victory over St. John's in the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship game. While the Zags had a couple of chances to really put the game away early in the 2nd half, they did enough down the stretch to hold off a strong charge from St. John's.
What made this victory so impressive was the ability of this team to get stops in the final minute. Both Kyle Dranginis and Gary Bell Jr. made key defensive plays to help secure the victory. Byron Wesley showed why he will be so important for this team, as he hit some key shots down the stretch to help give Gonzaga the win. Domantas Sabonis had the best game of his young career, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 boards in the win.
This is a win that will look good on the resume in March, as St. John's is a wildly athletic and talented team. This was a virtual road game for Gonzaga, but the team showed toughness down the stretch and didn't panic when St. John's made its run. It's hard to not be excited about this team adding a healthy Josh Perkins and Eric McClellan in January.