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Kyle Wiltjer scored 26 points and Domantas Sabonis added 23 as the Gonzaga Bulldogs coasted to an easy victory over the Pacific Tigers, 90-68, on Thursday night.
Wiltjer rebounded from his rough go at SMU with a big second half, scoring 19 points. At one point, Wiltjer scored eight-straight points on a variety of step back jumpers, proving just how impossible it is for anyone in the WCC to guard him when he is in the zone.
The Zags were clicking offensively, shooting 51 percent from the floor, 47 percent from three-point and 86 percent from the free throw line. Gonzaga went to the free throw line 29 times compared to just 14 for Pacific.
That discrepancy led to interim head coach Mike Burns losing his composure and scoring two quick technical to get ejected from the game. Burns had something to go off of, the first technical came on a play that Eric McClellan did a good job of selling. Overall, the refereeing in the game was rather inconsistent for both teams. Burns' ejection wasn't enough to light a big enough fire to topple the Zags.
The Zags keyed in on Alec Kobre the entire game. Kobre had just three field goal attempts in the first half and was limited to five points. He finished with 15 points, but without Kobre pouring it on the whole game, the Tigers never had a real chance.
Silas Melson added 12 points, hitting a couple more three-pointers. Melson's continued offensive resurgence has been one of the best storylines to emerge in the past couple of weeks and it is getting closer and easier to say that Melson might finally have put the rough start of the season behind him.
Josh Perkins finished with another Perkins-like night, scoring eight points and showing some of that passing flash with six assists. Overall, the Zags were passing the ball with the best of ‘em, landing 17 assists on 28 field goals.
It was a fine game on both sides of the ball for the Zags, and would've had been a perfect evening if not for one more three-pointer (hey, college kids gotta eat) and one of the more impressive inane ramblings from Greg Heister for much of the second half (25 wins isn't going to get us into the tournament Greg).
Gonzaga set the stage nicely for Senior Night, the last home game of the season against Saint Mary's. Come Saturday, it is time to send off Kyle Wiltjer, Eric McClellan and Kyle Dranginis in style.