Recap and highlights: 16th-ranked Gonzaga rolls San Francisco 99-81, as Dan Dickau is honored
It’s rare for Gonzaga to lose back-to-back games.
The Bulldogs showed why on Thursday, opening up an early double-digit lead and cruising to a 99-81 win over San Francisco at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Gonzaga hasn’t lose consecutive games since 2018 and coming off an overtime defeat at Saint Mary’s last Saturday, the 16th-ranked Zags (20-5, 9-2 West Coast) started on an 8-0 run and rolled to a 60-40 advantage at halftime, making nearly 60% of their attempts from the field.
Drew Timme scored 20 of his 21 points in the field half and watched most of the second from the bench with three fouls. Still, there was never a worry.
Rasir Bolton and a host of his Bulldogs teammates took over the scoring burden and kept the Dons (15-12, 4-8) at arms length the rest of the way.
Bolton scored a team-high 23 points, Anton Watson added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Hunter Sallis scored 13, rounding out the four Zags in double figures.
The Bulldogs will host Brigham Young in Spokane at 7 p.m., as they try to keep pace with Saint Mary’s in the WCC standings. That game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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Dan Dickau honored
Gonzaga great Dan Dickau had his No. 21 jersey unveiled in the rafters of the McCarthey Athletic Center ahead of Thursday’s tipoff with San Francisco. Courtney Vandersloot will become the first woman to have the honor on Saturday.
First half
19:46 – GU 2, USF 0: Watson finishes the first shot of the game through contact, but misses the free throw. Gonzaga’s forwards Watson and Timme has struggled from the line this season, both shooting a higher percentage from the floor than from the line.
17:55 – GU 6, USF 0: Rough start from the Dons, who commit four fouls and a turnover and miss their first two shots from the field.
Shabazz gets the ball back with a steal and USF calls for a timeout.
15:18 – GU 14, USF 5: Zags open 6 of 10 from the field, as Timme sets a program record for made field goal. Watson and Timme getting it done inside with six and four points, respectively.
11:32 – GU 24, USF 12: Sallis and Bolton connect on back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Zags their largest lead. Gregg is called for a shooting foul at the U12 media timeout.
7:39 – GU 38, USF 23: Shabazz is called for an intentional foul on Sallis, who makes both free throws. Timme has a team-high 14 points at the U8.
Dons will have three free throw attempts after Sallis is called for a foul.
3:55 – GU 45, USF 31: Timme up to 18 points at the U4 media timeout. Gonzaga shooting 56% from the field, holding onto large lead.
0:15 – GU 58, USF: Sallis makes a pair of free throws, now 6 of 6 from the line and up to 11 points. Gonzaga going to take its largest lead of the night into halftime.
Halftime
Rasir Bolton caught a full-court pass from Nolan Hickman and flipped it up at the buzzer to cap a highly-efficient offensive half from Gonzaga, which leads San Francisco 60-40 at halftime.
Drew Timme scored a team-high 20 points, as the Zags shot nearly 60% from the field and outscored the Dons 30-10 in the paint.
Hunter Sallis had one of his best halves this year, scoring 11 points and going 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Bolton also scored 11 points.
Second half
16:00 – GU 65, USF 49: Dons trim the Bulldogs lead, on a 7-point run over the last 1:36. Gonzaga opens the second half 1 of 4 from the field. Shabazz leads USF with 15 points, Meeks adds 14.
12:26 – GU 73, USF 55: Bulldogs coasting, build their lead back to 18 with a 3-pointer from Bolton, who is up to 16 points in the game.
10:58 – GU 77, USF 61: Shabazz knocks down a couple shots, but misses badly at the U12 media timeout. He is up to a game-high 25 points.
7:56 – GU 86, USF 63: Gonzaga just about puts this one away, on an 11-2 run at the U8 media timeout.
Bolton ties Timme for the team high with 21 points. Sallis and Watson have 13 apiece. Watson adds nine rebounds.
3:50 – GU 93, USF 72: Dons on a 7-0 run the last 1:11, but not looking like that will matter, as the Zags are in control.
Pregame
Gonzaga will need help if it wants to win its 11th-straight West Coast Conference title. It certainly can’t afford another slip up.
The No. 16 Bulldogs (19-5, 8-2 WCC) host the San Francisco Dons (15-11, 4-7) tonight at 6 p.m., coming off an overtime loss to Saint Mary’s on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Gonzaga led for most of its weekend loss in Moraga, California, but couldn’t find a way to stop freshman Aiden Mahaney down the stretch. Mahaney scored five straight layups and then assisted on the tying basket at the end of regulation.
While the loss was deflating, the Bulldogs will need Saint Mary’s to lose just once before the conference finale in Spokane, where the two teams will meet for a second time. The Gaels, which moved up to No. 15 in Monday’s AP poll – one spot ahead of Gonzaga, play Loyola Marymount tonight, which is the only other WCC team to beat the Zags.
The Bulldogs came from behind to beat San Francisco on Jan. 5. Rasir Bolton made a go-ahead layup with eight seconds left.
The Dons lost a pair of WCC games last week to Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara. They have a 4-3 record since playing Gonzaga last.
Series history
Gonzaga holds a 69-22 all-time series lead over San Francisco, winning each of the last 25 meetings. The Dons haven’t won in Spokane since Feb. 10, 1989.
Team stats
Individual leaders
Game preview
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