Killian Tillie returns to action for Gonzaga men in victory

SPOKANE – The Gonzaga fans roared when forward Killian Tillie was announced in the starting lineup Tuesday night.

The crowd boomed again when Tillie sank a three-pointer for the Zags’ first points.

“It felt good,” said Tillie, who finished with 15 points and eight rebounds as No. 8 Gonzaga held off Texas-Arlington 72-66.

“I needed that three,” he added.

Ryan Woolridge had 19 points and nine rebounds for Gonzaga (5-0), while Admon Gilder added 15 points and Filip Petrusev scored 10.

Tillie sat out much of last season with injuries and missed the first four games of this season while recovering from knee surgery.

“I’m a little tired and out of shape,” said Tillie, a 6-foot-10 senior from France. “I tried to step up and make some points.”

This proved to be the toughest test of the young season for the Zags, who won each of their first four games by at least 30 points and were listed as 21½-point favorites in this one.

Texas-Arlington (2-3), which competes in the Sun Belt Conference, played stout defense and made some big shots at the end to stay reasonably close.

“At times we responded well and other times we didn’t,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said, pointing to four three-pointers by Texas-Arlington in the closing minutes.

“We are definitely a work in progress,” Few said after the Zags, one of the best-shooting teams in the country, were held to 39% from the field.

Woolridge, a graduate transfer from North Texas, had his best game as a Zag.

“He’s a heck of a competitor,” Few said. “He gives you everything when he is out on the floor.”

Gonzaga has won 26 consecutive home games.

Jabari Narcis scored 16 points for Texas-Arlington, sinking all five of his three-point attempts.

Brian Warren and David Azore scored 15 points each for the Mavericks, who lost at No. 11 Oregon 67-47 on Sunday.

“We wanted to take away their inside guys and take our chances against their shooters,” Texas-Arlington coach Chris Ogden said. “Very proud of our team.

“I’ve seen improvement out of these guys every game. Tonight we came out and played like we expected to win the game.”

Gonzaga led by two points when Texas-Arlington made three straight three-pointers, two by Narcis, to take a 22-15 lead in the first half. Gonzaga made a mere six of its first 21 shots (28.6%).

Gonzaga used a 13-5 run to take a 28-27 lead at halftime. Woolridge scored the final seven points for Gonzaga, including a layup at the buzzer for the lead.

The pace picked up in the second half, with Gonzaga leading 40-37 in the opening minutes behind six points from Woolridge.

Gonzaga went on a 13-4 run for a 53-41 lead, but six straight points by the Mavericks made the score 53-47 with eight minutes left.

Five points by Woolridge helped push Gonzaga’s lead to 59-49.

Gonzaga made 5 of 22 shots from three-point range (22.7%). Texas-Arlington made 11 of 26 (42.3%).

“We have guys that can hit the three,” Ogden said.

Gonzaga won the rebound battle 45-33 and outscored the Mavericks in the paint 36-12.