Third-ranked Gonzaga hammers Texas A&M 94-71
Published 1:30 am Thursday, November 15, 2018
SPOKANE — Zach Norvell Jr. scored 22 points, Rui Hachimura added 18, and No. 3 Gonzaga beat Texas A&M 94-71 on Thursday night.
Brandon Clarke had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Gonzaga (3-0), which won its first three games for the eighth consecutive season.
Savion Flagg scored 18 points and T.J. Starks 16 for Texas A&M (1-2). The Aggies went to the Sweet 16 last season, but suffered major losses to graduation and the NBA draft.
The Aggies were plagued by shooting in the 30 percent range most of the game.
Neither team shot well in the early going, and Gonzaga led 16-14 with 11 minutes left in the first.
The Aggies tied the score at 28, but Gonzaga went on a 15-5 run in the closing five minutes, including a pair of 3-pointers by Norvell, to take a 43-33 halftime lead. Hachimura and Norvell each scored 13 points in the first, while Texas A&M was held to 36 percent shooting.
Gonzaga opened the second half with a 14-4 run to build a 57-37 lead. The Bulldogs held off the Aggies after that.
Texas A&M won the only other meeting between the programs, in 2015.
BIG PICTURE
Texas A&M: The Aggies are the first SEC team to visit the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Aggies played without senior guard Admon Gilder, who has a knee injury.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs played without star forward Killian Tillie, who is expected to miss most of the nonconference season with an ankle injury. The Zags were ranked third in the preseason poll, highest in their history.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M plays at Minnesota on Sunday.
Gonzaga plays Illinois in the Maui Classic on Monday.
