Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Portland Pilots Box Score on Jan 09, 2021

Joel Ayayi had 12 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists for the first triple-double in Gonzaga history and the top-ranked Bulldogs set a season high for points with a 116-88 victory over host Portland on Saturday night.

Drew Timme scored a game-best 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Anton Watson added a career-high 23 on 8-of-9 shooting for the Bulldogs (12-0, 3-0 WCC), who topped 100 points for the third time this season.

Corey Kispert tallied 14 points, Julian Strawther added a career-high 12 points, Terrell Suggs had 11 points and three steals and Andrew Nembhard had 10 points as Gonzaga beat Portland for the 13th consecutive meeting and 47th in the past 49 matchups.

Ayayi was 5-of-7 shooting and didn't commit a turnover in 28 minutes as the Bulldogs shot 62.9 percent from the field. Despite the high percentage, Gonzaga was just 4 of 17 from 3-point range.

Ahmed Ali scored 19 points for Portland (6-5, 0-2), which lost for the fourth time in the past five games. Zac Triplett had 13 points, Michael Henn scored 12 points and Clythus Griffith Jr. and Latrell Jones had 11 points apiece for the Pilots, who shot 41.8 percent from the field and were 13 of 27 from behind the arc.

Portland has lost 42 of its past 43 West Coast Conference contests -- including three conference tournament games -- since beating Loyola Marymount on Feb. 3, 2018.

Gonzaga had a 42-27 edge on the boards while scoring an astounding 80 points in the paint.

Ayayi made school history when he fed Nembhard for a basket with 17:01 left. Assist No. 10 gave the Bulldogs a 66-38 lead.

The game was tied at 11 after Jones buried a 3-pointer with 15:16 left in the first half.

The Bulldogs responded with the next eight points. Later in the half, Timme's basket capped a 12-2 spurt to give Gonzaga a 45-25 lead with 3:22 left in the half.

The Bulldogs led by 24 before Ali's 3-pointer pulled the Pilots within 56-35 at the break.

Gonzaga increased the lead to 76-45 on Watson's 3-point play with 14:45 to play.

The Bulldogs' lead topped out at 86-50 on Strawther's three-point play with 12:46 remaining.

--Field Level Media