The Gonzaga Bulldogs had four players score in double-figures on Thursday night as they rolled to a 64-46 victory over the Portland Pilots at the Kennel. Kevin Pangos scored 10 points including three baskets from beyond the arc while the three-headed frontcourt monster that is Przemek Karnowski, Kyle Wiltjer, and Domantas Sabonis combined for 44 points and 25 rebounds.
Gonzaga was rolling on both sides of the floor on Thursday. Offensively they shot 40.7% from the floor while grabbing 47 total rebounds. Defensively they held Portland to just 29.5% shooting from the floor which included a combined 12-for-45 from the starting five.
Portland played very well in the first half keeping the deficit to only six points at 31-25. It would be a cold stretch to start the second half that would seal their fate as Gonzaga when out to a 27-7 run over the first 15:29 in the final frame to put the game out of reach.
It was not all doom and gloom for the Portland Pilots. Senior forward Volodymyr Gerun grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds while scoring just seven points. The team did also earn 13 assists on their 18 made field goals for a very good 72.2% assist-to-basket ratio.
The win extended the longest home winning streak in the nation to 37. A streak that goes all the way back to December of 2012 when the Zags lost 85-74 to the Illinois Fighting Illini behind the 35 points of Brandon Paul. One of the more impressive numbers that goes with that streak is that Gonzaga’s average margin of victory in those games is 23.2 points per game. Only four have been decided by 10 or fewer points.
Gonzaga will look to extend that streak to 38 on Saturday when they welcome the Memphis Tigers into the McCarthey Athletic Center for a big non-conference game. The Portland Pilots will have the weekend off before travelling to San Francisco for a game with the Dons next Thursday night.