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Gonzaga Stays Perfect in League, Topping USF 71-48
Feb 13, 2004
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Cory Violette had 24 points and 10 rebounds and No. 7 Gonzaga won its 13th straight game, 71-48 over San Francisco on Thursday night.
Blake Stepp and Kyle Bankhead each added 11 points as Gonzaga improved to 7-0 in road games and won its 13th in a row against the Dons, including a seventh consecutive game at Memorial Gym.
Tyrone Riley led San Francisco with 15 points and six rebounds, an improvement for the Dons from their loss to Gonzaga in Spokane last month.
The Bulldogs (20-2, 10-0 WCC) can clinch their eighth West Coast Conference regular-season title with a victory Saturday at Saint Mary's. They have reached 20 wins for the 11th time since 1992 and the seventh straight, and this is the fastest the team has done it in school history.
If Gonzaga wins Saturday, it will match the school record for consecutive victories. The Bulldogs won 14 straight from Jan. 19-March 14, 2002, and from Jan. 4-Feb. 22, 2001.
Students lined up more than two hours before tipoff, with the backup reaching the main street outside the arena. A near-capacity crowd watched the Dons (14-12, 4-6) lose at home for only the second time in 10 games this season.
Violette scored 10 points, including two three-point plays, in the first 6:54 as the Bulldogs quickly built a commanding lead. That allowed coach Mark Few to liberally use his bench the rest of the way.
Gonzaga's two losses this season came against No. 2 Stanford and third-ranked Saint Joseph's - the only remaining unbeaten Division I teams.
San Francisco struggled early against the Bulldogs' tight zone defense, which rarely allowed the Dons to get the ball inside, and most shots they did get were contested.
Gonzaga made its first nine field goals to take a 22-6 lead that it never relinquished. Ronny Turiaf missed a layup at 12:32 to end the perfect run, but Sean Mallon was right there for a putback.
The Bulldogs led 39-23 at halftime, but made only two baskets in the final 8:34 of the half. After starting 9-for-9, they finished the half 5-of-15.
USF hosts Portland Saturday.
