Feb 22, 2002

Box Score

Cory Violette scored 18 points as No. 7 Gonzaga celebrated its highest ranking ever with a 70-54 victory over San Francisco on Friday night.

Dan Dickau added 17 as the Bulldogs (25-3, 12-1 West Coast Conference) won their 10th straight, and 22nd in 23 games overall.

Shamell Stallworth scored 17 points to lead the Dons (12-14, 7-6), who lost their third straight despite playing before their first sellout crowd of the season. San Francisco had won five of its last six home games.

Darrell Tucker recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Gonzaga, which has been ranked a school-record 11 consecutive weeks, is off to its best start ever in its 44 years as a Division I member.

The Bulldogs, one of just three teams to reach the NCAA Sweet 16 in each of the past three years, are the highest ranked team to play at USF since the Dons were ranked No. 6 in December 1981.

Gonzaga, with one game remaining in the regular season, still needs to win at St. Mary's on Saturday to clinch at least a share of the WCC title.

The Dons were without senior guard LyRyan Russell, out for the year with a torn left ACL, for the third straight game.

After allowing a season-high 93 points to the Bulldogs they last time they played, USF held Gonzaga 11 points under its average.

Alex Hernandez hit a pair of free throws with 14:20 remaining to highlight an 8-0 run for the Bulldogs, who opened a 45-26 lead.

San Francisco responded with a 12-2 run of its own to climb within 47-38 three minutes later. John Cox, whose cousin is Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to single digits for the first time since early in the game.

The Dons were still within nine with 4:22 left before Gonzaga began pulling away.

Gonzaga took much of the drama out of it by scoring the first 16 points. The Dons missed their first 15 shots - several within 3 feet of the basket - to fall behind.

There were four timeouts called before Cox, who had 11 points, finally hit an inside jumper with 9:56 remaining to play in the half putting San Francisco on the scoreboard.

The game was delayed several minutes with about five minutes left in the first half when Violette suffered a bloody nose and the court had to be cleaned.

The Dons were able to pull within 30-19 late in the half, but Alex Bankhead hit a jumper at the buzzer to give the Bulldogs a 33-19 lead at the intermission.