SAN FRANCISCO — Drew Timme scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the top-ranked Gonzaga men’s basketball team blasted San Francisco 100-61 on Saturday, lifting the Zags to at least 20 victories for the 24th consecutive season.
Aaron Cook, Joel Ayayi and Corey Kispert each scored 12 points for Gonzaga (20-0 overall, 11-0 West Coast Conference), which won its 24th consecutive game dating to last season. This was the team’s fifth straight road game.
Khalil Shabazz, a former standout at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, and Jamaree Bouyea each scored 14 points for San Francisco (10-10, 4-6), which lost for the 21st consecutive time to Gonzaga since its last victory in 2012.
Earlier Saturday, the Zags were the No. 1 overall seed in rankings released by the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. Selection Sunday is a month away. The Zags played like the top seed against the Dons.
Timme, who made 11 of his 12 shots in the game, scored 15 of Gonzaga’s first 17 points as it jumped to a 17-3 lead.
San Francisco missed its first 10 shots from the field and it wasn’t until Anthony Roy scored with 11:38 left in the first that the Dons got their first field goal. At that point they trailed 20-6.
Timme made his first eight shots from the field, including a pair of three-pointers, as Gonzaga built a 37-18 lead.
San Francisco, one of the nation’s best three-point shooting teams, missed its first 12 shots from distance.
Timme had 21 points and seven rebounds in the first half as Gonzaga led 48-26. The Zags held San Francisco to 31% shooting and forced the Dons into 12 turnovers in the first half.
San Francisco finally started to hit some long shots early in the second half, but by then it was down 69-39 with 12 minutes left.
The Dons are only 4-44 against Gonzaga since Mark Few became its coach.
Gonzaga has won 17 consecutive games by double digits. That’s the longest streak within a season by an Associated Press No. 1 team since 1990-91 UNLV won 19 games in a row by 10 or more.
Gonzaga hosts Saint Mary’s on Thursday. Gonzaga has announced family members of players will be allowed to attend a home game for the first time this season after COVID-19 protocols were relaxed in Washington.