SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Josh Perkins had 18 points and eight assists, and every Gonzaga starter scored in double figures as the No. 4 Bulldogs rolled past Santa Clara 98-39 on Thursday night.
Zach Norvell Jr. added 16 points and eight rebounds, Rui Hachimura also scored 16, Corey Kispert had 13 and Brandon Clarke scored 12 points to help Gonzaga (19-2, 6-0 West Coast Conference) to its 19th straight win over Santa Clara.
Bulldogs coach Mark Few’s team also extended its conference road winning streak to 27 games, the longest active mark in the nation.
Gonzaga held leads of 14-0, 20-2 and 48-10 while dominating Santa Clara on both ends of the floor in the first half, and was up 61 late in the second half well after Few pulled his starters.
Even then, the Bulldogs kept rolling.
Filip Petrusev scored 12 points off the bench, including a pair of free throws and a dunk that put Gonzaga up 96-37.
It was very similar to the first game between the teams three weeks ago when the Bulldogs won 91-48 in the conference opener.
Josip Vrankic had 12 points and six rebounds and Trey Wertz scored 11 for Santa Clara. The Broncos (11-10, 3-4) have lost four of six since their six-game winning streak in December.
Perkins and Hachimura had 14 points apiece to get the Zags rolling early. Kispert added a pair of 3s and an emphatic two-handed dunk to help put the Bulldogs 53-17 at halftime.
The game drew a Leavey Center-record crowd of 5,094 that included Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, who sat courtside.
BIG PICTURE
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs have won 10 straight since back-to-back losses to then-No. 7 Tennessee and then-No. 12 North Carolina, a good sign as they near the midway point of the conference schedule. Even more impressive was Gonzaga’s two turnovers, the fewest in school history and two fewer than its previous season-low of four. The Zags also held a huge advantage in rebounds and closed out strong with their starters on the bench. … Perkins moved into 20th on the school’s career scoring list.
Santa Clara: The injury-plagued Broncos have played better than expected this season, but they didn’t have much go right in a second consecutive lopsided loss to Gonzaga. Santa Clara shot just 13 of 48 (27.1 percent) overall and was outscored 19-2 in second-chance points.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga: After a brief break, the Bulldogs play at BYU next Thursday.
Santa Clara: Hosts Loyola Marymount on Saturday in the second of three straight home games at the Leavey Center.
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