Wiltjer scores 22 as No. 2 Gonzaga rallies past Santa Clara

Santa Clara, CA - Kyle Wiltjer had 22 points and six rebounds, Byron Wesley added 17 points and seven boards and No. 2 Gonzaga pulled away in the second half to defeat Santa Clara 77-63 on Thursday night.

Gary Bell Jr. knocked down all three of his three-point attempts and finished with 16 points for the Bulldogs (23-1, 11-0 WCC), who have won 16 straight games.

Jared Brownridge netted 25 points to lead the Broncos (11-13, 5-7).

A Brownridge layup staked Santa Clara to a 46-40 advantage with 17:33 remaining, but a 12-1 Gonzaga run helped it seize control. Wesley netted the final five points of the surge, including a three-point play to cap it and give the Bulldogs a 52-47 cushion.

Matt Hubbard nailed a 3-pointer to trim the gap to 52-50, but the Broncos never got any closer.

Gonzaga ripped off the next eight points, with Wiltjer's jumper and two free throws increasing its margin to 60-50 with 9:04 to play.

The Bulldogs cruised to the victory from there.

Earlier, Bell netted eight quick points, including back-to-back treys to help Gonzaga race out to an 18-7 spread.

Brownridge, though, finished off a 15-2 Broncos swing with a 3 to give them a 27-25 edge and they were up 36-34 at the break.