No. 4 Gonzaga reaches triple digits, throttles UMass-Lowell

Khalif Battle scored a game-high 21 points, leading six players in double figures as No. 4 Gonzaga never trailed in defeating visiting UMass Lowell 113-54 Friday night in a nonconference game in Spokane, Wash.

Nolan Hickman added 14 for the Bulldogs (3-0), who trounced then-No. 8 Baylor 101-63 in their opener and then got past Arizona State 88-80 last Sunday. Braden Huff and Ryan Nembhard each scored 13 points and Graham Ike and Dusty Stromer had 11 apiece. Ben Gregg added seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the hosts and Nembhard had eight assists without a turnover.

Quinton Mincey led the River Hawks (2-1) with 10 points and Martin Somerville, Max Brooks and Cam Morris III each scored nine.

The Bulldogs shot 41 of 76 from the field (53.9 percent), including 10 of 22 from 3-point range. UMass Lowell shot 18 of 50 (36 percent) and was 3 of 16 from distance.

Gonzaga forced 25 turnovers while committing just nine, leading to a 32-10 scoring advantage in points off turnovers and a 36-2 edge in fast-break points. The Bulldogs also outscored UMass Lowell 60-20 in the paint and 48-12 off the bench.

Hickman scored 12 points, making 4 of 5 3-point attempts, and Battle tallied 10 as the Bulldogs raced to a 49-27 halftime lead.

Gonzaga scored the game's first five points and led 10-2 on a 3-pointer by Battle.

Morris scored five straight points on a hook shot in the lane and a 3-pointer to get the River Hawks within 10-7 five minutes into the game before Gonzaga went on an 11-0 run, sparked by Hickman's 3-pointer.

The Bulldogs extended their lead to as many as 24 points, 47-23, before the intermission.

Gonzaga doubled up the River Hawks, 72-36, on Stromer's driving layup off a turnover with 12:52 left, part of a 15-0 run.

The Bulldogs reached the 100-point mark with 5:08 remaining on a turnaround jumper by Jun Seok Yeo, who finished with eight points in eight minutes.

--Field Level Media