Utah Tech Trailblazers vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Match Player Stats On Dec 29, 2020

Corey Kispert scored a game-high 25 points and Joel Ayayi added 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as top-ranked Gonzaga cruised to a 112-67 victory against Dixie State on Tuesday night in Spokane, Wash.

Bulldogs freshman Oumar Ballo added a season-high 17 points in 13 minutes off the bench, making all six of his field-goal attempts. The Bulldogs (9-0) wrapped up the nonleague portion of their schedule and are set to begin West Coast Conference play Saturday against visiting San Francisco.

Cameron Gooden scored 20 points to lead the Trailblazers (4-2), who are in their first season in NCAA Division I. It was Dixie State's first game against a ranked D-I opponent.

Gonzaga played for the second consecutive night without starting point guard Jalen Suggs, who sustained a right leg injury Saturday in the second half of the Zags' 98-75 victory against then-No. 16 Virginia.

The Bulldogs' offense didn't suffer as the team shot 60.3 percent from the field (44 of 73) and outscored Dixie State 72-40 in the paint. Gonzaga held a 30-0 edge in points off turnovers after forcing the Trailblazers into 20 miscues.

Kispert, who played just 23 minutes as Bulldogs coach Mark Few emptied his bench early, shot 10 of 16 from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

Dixie State was also short-handed, dressing just nine players because of COVID-19 protocols and injuries. Among the missing were Frank Staine and Isaiah Pope, two of the four Trailblazers who average double-figure point totals.

Gonzaga led just 18-16 after 5 1/2 minutes before going on a 12-2 run, capped by an Ayayi 3-pointer. The surge expanded the lead to double digits, where it remained for the rest of the game.

Kispert sank 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to make it 44-26 with 6:08 left in the half, and the Bulldogs extended the lead to as many as 27 points before taking a 63-38 edge into the intermission. Ayayi had 19 points and Kispert added 12 in the half.

--Field Level Media