Kevin Pangos made a running layup with two seconds to play and No. 10 Gonzaga escaped with a 71-69 win against Washington State.
No. 10 Gonzaga vs. Washington State final score: Zags escape with 71-69 win
Washington State challenged Gonzaga, but the Bulldogs were able to avoid the upset with a 71-69 win.
The in-state rivals went back and forth all game. Washington State had the advantage for much of the first half and the Cougars took a 31-27 lead into halftime. Gonzaga didn’t take long to respond in the second half as the Zags came out strong and took the lead back. Gonzaga built their lead to double digits, but the Cougars once again answered.
DaVonte Lacy and Brock Motum got hot from three-point range for WSU and the Cougars came all the way back to tie the game, 60-60. After the teams traded the lead, Kelly Olynyk took over the game for Gonzaga. Olynyk scored seven straight points for the Zags, including a key three-pointer to give Gonzaga a 68-64 lead with 33 seconds to play.
Just when it looked like Gonzaga had the game clinched, WSU came back once again to tie the game. That is when Pangos went coast-to-coast for the game-winning layup. Olynyk scored 22 for Gonzaga while Elias Harris led the Zags with 23 points. Motum led WSU with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting while Lacy finished with a career-high 22.
Gonzaga faced its toughest test of the season, but will need a quick turnaround as the Bulldogs face No. 13 Illinois on Saturday.
See More:
