Field Level Media
Feb 22, 2018
Sophomore forward Killian Tillie scored 17 points as No. 6 Gonzaga averted an upset with a 77-72 victory over San Diego on Thursday at Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego.
Sophomore forward Rui Hachimura scored 12 of his 16 points in the final 6:35 to help Gonzaga (26-4, 16-1 West Coast Conference) clinch at least a share of the conference's regular-season crown.
Senior forward Johnathan Williams scored 11 points, and junior guard Josh Perkins and freshman forward Corey Kispert added 10 points apiece as the Bulldogs won their 10th consecutive game.
Junior guard Olin Carter III scored 21 points for the Toreros (17-12, 8-9). Junior forward Isaiah Pineiro and junior guard Isaiah Wright scored 14 points apiece, and freshman forward Yauhen Massalski had 11 points.
Gonzaga shot 43.6 percent from the field while notching its 23rd consecutive conference road victory. The Bulldogs also registered their eighth straight win over the Toreros and 19th in the past 20 meetings.
San Diego shot 41.4 percent from the field -- but just 34.4 percent in the second half.
Gonzaga struggled with the Toreros until Hachimura took over.
He hit four consecutive free throws and Williams hit a jumper as Gonzaga turned a one-point deficit into a 63-58 lead with 2:25 left. San Diego pulled within three and Hachimura was at it again, this time sinking back-to-back jumpers to give the Bulldogs a 67-60 edge with 1:22 to play.
The Toreros moved within 75-72 with 6.4 seconds remaining on Carter's second 3-pointer in an 11.1-second span. Hachimura made two free throws to seal it.
The Toreros led by three points at halftime and opened the second half with a 7-2 run with Wright knocking down a jumper to increase the margin to 44-36 with 18:04 remaining.
The score was 51-44 after Wright connected on a 3-pointer with 14:57 to play, but San Diego then missed seven straight shots and went 6:01 without a point. Tillie hit an inside jumper, Kispert drained a 3-pointer and Tillie hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 10:30 left for Gonzaga's first lead of the second half.
San Diego shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and limited Gonzaga to 37.1 percent shooting while taking a 37-34 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media