SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Rui Hachimura scored 32 points and No. 4 Gonzaga beat San Diego 85-69 on Saturday night to go undefeated through the first half of the West Coast Conference season.
Zach Norvell Jr. added 21 points for Gonzaga (21-2, 8-0), which won its 12th consecutive game since a pair of December losses knocked it from the No. 1 spot in The AP Top 25.
Isaiah Pineiro tied a career high with 30 points and added 11 rebounds for San Diego (15-8, 4-4), one of the surprise teams in the league this season. Isaiah Wright added 16 points.
Hachimura sank 11 of 15 shots and added seven rebounds. The Toreros were undone by 17 turnovers, but managed to stay close for much of the game.
Hachmiura scored 11 points as Gonzaga jumped to a 17-10 lead.
San Diego came back and Pineiro's 3-pointer put the Toreros ahead 24-21.
Hachimura stole the ball and slammed it home for a 34-29 Gonzaga lead, capping a 13-5 run.
Gonzaga scored the final six points of the first to take a 40-32 lead at halftime. Hachimura had 20 points in the first, while Pineiro had 15 points for San Diego.
The Toreros nailed six 3-pointers in the first half.
The teams traded baskets in the second half, with Gonzaga holding a 59-48 lead midway through.
Three consecutive 3-pointers by Norvell lifted Gonzaga to a 70-55 lead with 5:30 left.
Gonzaga has won nine straight against San Diego.
BIG PICTURE
San Diego: The Toreros are coming off a win over second-place San Francisco ... Pineiro is averaging 19.5 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Toreros ... Olin Carter III, who is averaging 16 points per game, has not played since Jan. 12 because of an abdomen injury, missing five games.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs are coasting toward a seventh consecutive WCC regular season title. They came in beating league opponents by an average of 31 points per game ... The Zags are first in the nation in scoring at 91.5 points per game and field goal shooting at 52.7 percent ... Gonzaga has won 20 straight home games against San Diego dating to a loss in 2000 ... Gonzaga has won 23 straight games against WCC foes.
UP NEXT
San Diego plays at Loyola Marymount next Thursday.
Gonzaga hosts second-place San Francisco, who played them tough in the Bay Area before losing, next Thursday.
