Portland defeated No. 22 Gonzaga for the first time in more than 10 years, fending off a late charge to win, 82-73. Their first win in 21 tries against the Zags, the Pilots went up big early and were able to hold on behind a balanced attack that saw five players hit double digits.
No. 22 Gonzaga vs. Portland recap: Pilots beat Zags for the first time in a decade, 82-73
Portland locked down a signature win Thursday, knocking off Gonzaga comfortably at home.
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Point guard Bryce Pressley led the charge for Portland (10-7), scoring 16 and dishing out nine assists in the win. As with most upsets, the Pilots were lights out from downtown, shooting 8-for-14 from three. The Zags hit just four in 15 attempts.
Gonzaga (14-3) leading scorer Kevin Pangos was off his game all night, shooting just 3-for-10 from the field on his way to 12 points. The superb shooting guard has averaged 17.4 points per game this season, shooting 48 percent from three-point range.
In addition to the 20-game win streak, the Zags had won 34 of their previous 35 games against the Pilots. The last win came on Feb. 19, 2003 when Portland beat Gonzaga, 72-68, in Spokane. Also for the Pilots, Thursday marked the first win over a ranked opponent since a 2009 win against No. 22 Minnesota.
Gonzaga is now in danger of falling out of the rankings. The Zags stay on the road for the next week, traveling to Pepperdine and Loyola-Marymount.
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