Ayayi leads top-ranked Gonzaga to 50-point win over Santa Clara
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) Joel Ayayi scored 19 points and Filip Petrusev and Admon Gilder each scored 18 as top-ranked Gonzaga pounded Santa Clara 104-54 on Thursday night for its 33rd straight home win, the longest streak in the nation.
Corey Kispert added 16 points for Gonzaga (19-1, 5-0 West Coast), which opened a stretch in which it plays three games against opponents just behind it in the league standings.
Josip Vrankic scored 12 points and Trey Wertz 11 for cold-shooting Santa Clara (15-4, 2-2), which is off to its best start in decades. But the Broncos have lost 20 straight to Gonzaga, dating to 2011.
The Broncos were doomed by 30% shooting in this game, including 3 of 25 from 3-point range.
Gonzaga has won 11 games in a row since its only loss to Michigan.
Gonzaga made eight of its first 11 shots to take a 20-9 lead.
The Bulldogs then went on a 20-5 run to push their lead to 40-14 midway through the first.
The Broncos couldn't get untracked and Gonzaga closed the first half with a 14-2 run to take a 58-22 lead into the locker room. Santa Clara shot just 25% (9 of 36) in the first half, including 1 of 12 from 3-point range.
Gonzaga shot 51% in the first and sank seven 3-pointers.
Santa Clara opened the second half with a 14-4 run, eight points by Vrankic, to cut Gonzaga's lead to 62-36. But it was too little, too late.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
An easy win over a quality league opponent should help the Zags stay atop the AP Top 25 for another week.
WATSON OUT
Gonzaga freshman forward Anton Watson will have shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season, the team said. He appeared in 15 games.
BIG PICTURE
Santa Clara: The Broncos have seven players averaging at least 7 points , but as a team average just 66.8 per game, 20 points fewer than Gonzaga. ... This is Santa Clara's best start since the 1977-78 season ... Forward Guglielmo Caruso is out indefinitely with a leg injury.
Gonzaga: The Zags' 32 straight regular-season conference wins are the longest streak in the nation. They have tied the WCC record set by Pepperdine in 1993 ... The Zags lead the nation in scoring at 87.8 points per game, and are the only team with six players averaging in double figures. Petrusev leads with 16.6 ppg.
UP NEXT
Santa Clara hosts Pacific on Saturday.
Gonzaga hosts BYU, which has had some success in Spokane, on Saturday.
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