No. 9 Gonzaga holds off Pepperdine 81-67

Published 1:30 am Saturday, February 17, 2018

Associated Press

SPOKANE — Johnathan Williams had 18 points and 12 rebounds and No. 9 Gonzaga held off last-place Pepperdine 81-67 on Saturday night to remain in first place in the West Coast Conference.

Killian Tillie and Josh Perkins each scored 15 points for Gonzaga (25-4, 15-1 West Coast), which has won nine consecutive games since suffering its only league loss to No. 15 Saint Mary’s.

Colbey Ross scored 21 points for Pepperdine (4-24, 1-15), which has lost seven straight.

Gonzaga has won 35 straight games against Pepperdine dating to 2002. The Waves have not won in Spokane since 1998.

Williams had his sixth consecutive double-double.

Gonzaga hit four 3-pointers during an early 20-6 run to take a 26-12 lead.

Gonzaga began missing and Pepperdine clawed back to trail just 34-28 late in the first.

The Zags led 39-32 at halftime, after holding the Waves to 41 percent shooting.

Three 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the second half lifted the Bulldogs to a 54-40 lead.

But the Waves came back and a basket by Trae Berhow cut Gonzaga’s lead to 66-64 with 7:32 left. Killian Tillie hit a 3-pointer and Williams dunked to push Gonzaga’s lead back to seven.

The Waves were scoreless for more than six minutes, missing seven shots, as the Zags built a 77-64 lead.