Field Level Media
Nov 26, 2018
Junior power forward Brandon Clarke made all nine field-goal attempts while recording 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots as top-ranked Gonzaga mauled North Dakota State 102-60 on Monday night in Spokane, Wash.
Junior forward Rui Hachimura also scored 18 points, and sophomore wing Corey Kispert made five 3-pointers while adding 17 points for the Bulldogs (7-0). Sophomore guard Zach Norvell Jr. made four 3-pointers while contributing 15 points and eight assists, freshman forward Filip Petrusev had 11 points and senior point guard Josh Perkins added 10 points and six assists for Gonzaga.
The Bulldogs shot 63.8 percent from the field and knocked down 15 of 28 from 3-point range.
Junior guard Vinnie Shahid scored 16 points, and sophomore guard Cameron Hunter and junior forward Deng Geu added 12 points apiece for North Dakota State (2-5). The Bison shot just 35.4 percent from the field and made 4 of 27 3-point attempts.
This is the third time Gonzaga has ascended to No. 1 in the rankings. The Bulldogs also reached the top spot during the 2012-13 and 2016-17 seasons.
Gonzaga played without standout junior forward Killian Tillie (ankle) for the seventh straight game. Senior guard Geno Crandall also was out after breaking his right hand during practice Sunday, and he will miss four to six weeks.
The Bulldogs had 25 assists on 37 baskets. The Bison had just two on 23 field goals.
North Dakota State put up a fight over the first 10 minutes and held a 19-18 lead after a basket by freshman guard Jarius Cook with 10:24 left in the half.
Norvell hit a go-ahead 3-pointer 18 seconds later to start a 19-0 surge. Clarke scored 10 points during the stretch as the Bulldogs took a 37-19 advantage.
Hunter drained a 3-pointer to halt the North Dakota State drought at 4:18 before Gonzaga ripped off 12 more points in a row. Kispert's dunk capped it and made it 49-22 with 1:34 left until halftime.
The Bulldogs led 53-25 at the break with Clarke scoring 14 on 7-of-7 shooting. Gonzaga shot 72.4 percent from the field while the Bison shot 37 percent in the opening half.
The onslaught continued in the second half, and Kispert buried three consecutive 3-pointers to increase the lead to 40. The long-range shots began a 16-0 run that saw the Bulldogs increase their advantage to 85-38 with 9:29 left.
Shahid connected 36 seconds later to end a stretch of 15 straight missed shots by North Dakota State.
--Field Level Media