Gonzaga plays short-handed in win over San Francisco

Gonzaga’s sophomore guard Bryan Alberts suffered a nasty sprained ankle early in Tuesday’s practice. On Wednesday, freshman forward Killian Tillie suffered a broken bone in his hand. Both are expected to miss Saturday’s game against Pacific.

Tillie, who missed two games in late January with a sprained ankle, was wearing a cast on his right (shooting) hand during the Zags’ 96-61 win over San Francisco on Thursday. He said he doesn’t need surgery. He’s not sure how long he’ll be sidelined.

“Killian brings energy, hustle, athleticism and a great feel for the game,” coach Mark Few said. “I think we have some other people that can bridge the gap and hopefully we’ll get him back.”

Tillie’s absence reduces Gonzaga’s four-man interior rotation to three. Przemek Karnowski (27 minutes vs. San Francisco), Johnathan Williams (25) and Zach Collins (18) will probably see additional time.

Collins’ ability to play power forward or center allows him to play with Karnowski or Williams.

“That’s the fortunate thing about our team,” Williams-Goss said. “What we’ve relied on all year is balance and depth, kind of a next-man-up mentality. We’re going to want Tillie back and get “BA” healthy, but we have confidence in all the guys in the locker room.”