Field Level Media
Feb 17, 2022
Drew Timme scored 19 points and freshman Chet Holmgren added 18 while matching his career high of 17 rebounds as top-ranked Gonzaga notched an 86-66 victory over Pepperdine on Wednesday in West Coast Conference play at Malibu, Calif.
Senior Andrew Nembhard added a career-high 14 assists for Gonzaga (22-2, 11-0 WCC), which won its 15th consecutive game. Anton Watson scored 16 points and Rasir Bolton added 11 for the Bulldogs.
Gonzaga defeated the Waves for the 43rd consecutive time. The Zags have won on each of their past 19 visits to Pepperdine.
Houston Mallette scored 25 points for Pepperdine (7-21, 1-12), which lost for the 12th time in the past 13 games. Jan Zidek added 16 points and Darryl Polk Jr. had 10.
Gonzaga shot 51.5 percent from the field but was just 4 of 18 from 3-point range. The Bulldogs dominated inside with a 50-24 edge on the boards, and Holmgren blocked four shots.
The Waves made 37.5 percent of their shots and were 6 of 20 from behind the arc.
Timme scored on a dunk with 16 minutes left but landed awkwardly on his right ankle. He briefly exited to get the ankle taped with 15:20 remaining before returning 78 seconds later.
In the meantime, Pepperdine started a 10-0 run in which Mallette scored six points as the Waves cut their deficit to 57-49 with 12:58 remaining.
Timme halted Pepperdine's charge with a three-point play with 12:30 left to start a 9-2 push that pushed the Bulldogs' lead to 66-51 with 9:27 remaining.
The Waves crept within 68-56 on Zidek's jumper with 7:57 left. But Gonzaga rattled off the next eight points, with Timme's layup boosting the margin to 20 with 5:09 remaining.
The lead topped out at 23 while the Bulldogs sealed the triumph.
Holmgren had nine points and eight rebounds in the first half as Gonzaga led 45-29 at the break. The Bulldogs outshot the Waves 51.4 percent to 39.4 percent prior to halftime.
Mallette topped the Waves with nine first-half points.
--Field Level Media