Washington rallies in second half and tops No. 7 Gonzaga 78-73. Snaps 7-game losing streak to Zags
SEATTLE (AP) — Keion Brooks Jr. scored 17 points, Sahvir Wheeler added 16 and Washington rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to beat No. 7 Gonzaga 78-73 on Saturday night.
The Huskies (6-3) snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Bulldogs and picked up their first win over their in-state foe since a 99-95 win in 2005, also in Seattle. It was also Washington’s first win over a top 10 opponent since beating Arizona in the 2017-18 season.
Wheeler was responsible for some of the biggest shots in Washington’s rally, but he had plenty of help. Brooks added eight rebounds and made four key free throws in the final minute. Moses Wood added 12 points and Koren Johnson scored 11 off the bench.
Franck Kepnang also had a big game controlling the paint with 14 points, seven rebounds five blocked shots for Washington.
Graham Ike led Gonzaga (7-2) with 18 points and Nolan Hickman scored 17. But Washington was able to slow down Hickman after he scored 15 in the first half, and Gonzaga went through a miserable spell of cold shooting in the final minutes.
Gonzaga made just one of its final 12 shots and its only points in the final 7 minutes, 12 seconds came on Ike’s 3-point play with one minute remaining.
Anton Watson finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The Bulldogs led 57-46 early in the second half after the Huskies started the half 1 of 10 shooting, but Washington slowly chipped away. The Huskies pulled even at 66-all with 8:56 left on Wheeler’s fastbreak layup and took their first lead since the opening minute on another Wheeler layup for a 72-70 lead with 3:41 left.
That was Washington’s final made basket, but the Huskies were 6 of 6 at the foul line in the final minutes.
BIG PICTURE
Gonzaga: Some of the Bulldogs role players that have been critical to their early success struggled. Dusty Stromer was scoreless in 28 minutes. Braden Huff had foul trouble and also finished scoreless and played only five minutes. Ben Gregg had 11 points off the bench.
Washington: The Huskies beat at team ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since toppling Baylor in the 2019 season opener. Washington’s last win against a top 10 team was against Arizona in February 2018.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga: hosts Mississippi Valley State on Monday.
Washington: at crosstown rival Seattle on Sunday, Dec. 17.
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