Field Level Media
Jan 7, 2018
Senior power forward Johnathan Williams scored 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting, and No. 19 Gonzaga exploded in the second half to record an 85-66 victory over Loyola Marymount on Saturday night in West Coast Conference play at Los Angeles.
Junior guard Josh Perkins registered 12 points and 10 assists and freshman guard Zach Norvell Jr. (12) and sophomore forward Rui Hachimura (11) also scored in double digits for the Bulldogs (14-3, 4-0 WCC). Williams added 10 rebounds, Perkins had 10 assists, and Norvell grabbed nine boards.
Gonzaga led by just five points at halftime but began the second half with 17 in a row en route to defeating Loyola Marymount for the 17th consecutive time.
Senior wing Steven Haney made five 3-point baskets and scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half for the Lions (5-10, 0-4). Junior guard James Batemon added 13 points and eight assists for the Loyola Marymount, which has dropped six straight games and eight of the past nine.
The Bulldogs shot 55.7 percent from the field and had a 48-26 edge in points in the paint while improving to 38-3 vs. the Lions during coach Mark Few's 19 seasons at the school.
Loyola Marymount was 8 of 14 from 3-point range in the first half to trail 46-41 at the break.
However, Williams and the Bulldogs were a different team after intermission. Williams began the half with a layup and scored six overall during the half-opening 17-0 run.
Norvell converted a three-point play to cap the spurt and make it 63-41 with 15:37 remaining.
A dunk by Williams made it 68-43 with 13:39 left, and the lead was 23 just past the midway point of the half. The Lions used a 15-5 run over a 7 1/2-minute stretch to creep within 13 before Gonzaga closed it out.
The Lions were just 1 of 9 from 3-point range in the second half to finish 9 of 23.
Haney's long-range shooting in the first half helped the Lions stay within range. The five 3-pointers raised his career total to 174, tying Jim Williamson (1993-97) for fifth place on the school's all-time list.
A 9-0 run that culminated with Williams' layup gave Gonzaga a 34-20 lead. Williams later made a dunk to make it 43-30 before Loyola Marymount closed the half on an 11-3 run.
--Field Level Media