Feb. 26, 2008

Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -Jeremy Pargo and David Pendergraft both had 13 points as No. 24 Gonzaga overcame a sluggish first half to beat Portland 73-51 on Monday night and remain tied for first place in the West Coast Conference.

Micah Downs added 12 points for the Bulldogs (21-7, 11-1), who shot 55.6 percent from the field in the second half as they took command of the game. Portland (8-20, 2-10), which led by as many as eight points in the first half, shot just 30 percent in the second half.

Reserve Robin Smeulders led Portland with 12 points while Walter Thompson and Taishi Ito both added 10.

Gonzaga, which returned to the Top 25 earlier Monday, is tied for first place in the WCC with No. 25 Saint Mary's. The teams play at Gonzaga on Saturday.

The Pilots shocked a lot of people, especially the Zags, by holding the lead for most of the first half. Gonzaga hit just five of its first 15 shots as Portland took a 21-14 lead that eventually grew to 27-19.

But Gonzaga rallied late in the half behind the strong guard play of Pargo. He had nine of his team's last 11 points of the half as the Bulldogs trimmed Portland's lead to 29-27.

The teams traded the lead for the first 9 minutes of the second half as neither team led by more than two points.

Portland's last lead of the game was 40-39 when Sherrard Watson made two free throws with 11:27 remaining.

Gonzaga then went on a 26-11 run to put the game away. The Zags took the lead for good when Austin Daye hit a 3-pointer - his only points of the game - with 10:28 to go. That started a 17-4 run that included baskets by six Gonzaga players and put the Zags ahead 56-44.