Gonzaga continues modest win streak in 82-61 win over Pacific

Gonzaga’s balanced attack was on full display in an 82-61 win over the Pacific Tigers in an early afternoon game that was perfect for fans of the basketball/high tea combo. Alums Kelly Olynyk and Sam Dower were in the house to watch five Zags score in double-figures with Nigel Williams-Goss leading the way at 18 points. Freshman wunderkind Zach Collins spearheaded a strong effort from the frontcourt rotation with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks.

The Bulldogs have dominated the WCC all season long, though today’s contest certainly didn’t hit the heights demonstrated in other games. Nevertheless, the Zags extended its streak of winning by 10+ points to an astounding 20 games, which obviously encompasses the entire WCC schedule and dates back to the delightful thumping over Washington on December 7.

The start of this game almost mirrored the first contest between these teams in Stockton back on New Year’s Eve. It took nearly 4 minutes for the Zags to make a field goal with a Johnathan Williams three-pointer getting the team off the starting blocks. Unlike the game in Stockton, the Zags didn’t trail for 15+ minutes before putting away the Tigers. In fact, the Zags took the lead at the 15-minute mark in the first half and didn’t look back.

Pacific did its best to muddle up the flow of the game and disrupt Gonzaga’s rhythm on both ends of the floor. Pacific’s approach resulted in a game that wasn’t very easy on the eyes, but did send the Zags to the free throw line early and often. Gonzaga finished the game shooting 26-30 from the charity stripe.

The Tigers lack of size left them with few answers for Gonzaga’s shortened frontcourt rotation. Despite the loss of Killian Tillie, Gonzaga’s frontcourt didn’t miss a beat as Williams logged a double-double and Collins spent much of the game rejecting the Tigers shot attempts in the paint.

Following today’s win, Gonzaga enters the final week of the WCC regular season eyeing a perfect regular season. The Zags will head down to San Diego before hosting senior night in the Kennel against BYU.