Gonzaga led by trio of stars in thrashing of San Diego
The race was on early.
Would Nigel Williams-Goss set his career high for points? Would Przemek Karnowski improve on his career high for assists? Would Johnathan Williams establish a season best rebounding effort?
The answers were no, no and yes as No. 3 Gonzaga crushed San Diego 79-43 on Thursday in front of 6,000 at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
The trio led the way as the Zags (21-0, 9-0 WCC) remained the only unbeaten team in Division I. San Diego dropped to 10-11, 3-6.
Williams-Goss poured in 19 points in the opening half, a mixture of 3-pointers (2 of 2) and drives that resulted in floaters or layups. He finished with 25 points, well below his 36-point outburst at San Francisco, but he only played 26 minutes and sat for most of the second half.
Karnowski had four first-half assists and finished with five, two below his career best. He played just 23 minutes.
Williams racked up 13 points and 12 rebounds, his season high by four.
The Zags were sharp from the opening tip and seemed unaffected by the possibility of being ranked No. 1 when the polls are released Monday. No. 1 Villanova and No. 2 Kansas lost on Tuesday.
“I’ve never been in this position before,” Williams said. “Just try to block it out and stay humble.”