SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- Adam Morrison got Gonzaga coach Mark Few's
attention with his play away from the ball. The Bulldogs' star was
pretty good with the ball, too.
Morrison scored 26 points and Gonzaga (No. 20 ESPN/USA Today; No. 16 AP) shot 60 percent
from the field to rout Pepperdine 86-62 on Saturday night in West
Coast Conference play.
"He moved better without the ball tonight," Few said. "He
blocked out and guarded."
Morrison was 10-of-16 from the field, including a 4-for-6 mark
from 3-point range, to tie his career high in scoring.
Pepperdine (12-7, 2-2) shot 33.9 percent and was 5-of-25 from
3-point range.
"When you give up 60 percent and shoot 33 percent, up here or
anywhere, you're going to lose the game," Pepperdine coach Paul
Westphal said after the Waves lost their seventh consecutive game
to Gonzaga dating to 2000.
Ronny Turiaf had 19 points and 10 rebounds, his fifth
double-double of the season and 19th of his career, for Gonzaga
(13-3, 3-1 WCC). Freshman David Pendergraft added 14 points.
Few also was pleased with his team's shot selection after
Gonzaga made 30 of 50 shots, and was 8-of-15 on 3-pointers.
"We swung the ball and looked for other options instead of
taking our first shot," Few said. "One of our biggest problems is
shooting too quick."
Gonzaga and Pepperdine have maintained a spirited if uneven
rivalry in recent years, and Few noted the Bulldogs' fans were
loud, which helped his tired team.
"The crowd tonight was different from the one on Thursday,"
Few said, referring to Gonzaga's much closer win over Loyola
Marymount. "The energy from the crowd went to our guys."
Gonzaga won its 19th consecutive home game and is 31-0 at home
when ranked.
The Waves came in averaging 74 points and shooting nearly 45
percent from the field. Instead, they became the sixth team Gonzaga
has held to under 40-percent shooting this season, going 21-of-62
overall. Only Portland State and Washington have shot better than
50 percent against Gonzaga this season.
Glen McGowan scored 15 points for Pepperdine, missing all five
of his 3-point attempts, and Alex Acker added 13.
"Our shot selection was atrocious," Westphal said. "We took a
lot of shots we didn't want to see taken."
With center Jesse Pinegar out with a sprained ankle, the Waves
started freshman Jarrad Henry at center. He had no points and one
rebound.
Gonzaga was 18-of-21 from the free-throw line and had a 37-30
rebounds edge.
The game was only close in the opening minutes.
Pendergraft scored eight early points to help Gonzaga take a
20-17 lead. Kingsly Costain's 3-pointer for Pepperdine tied it at
24 with 7:52 left, but it was the last time the Waves pulled even.
Morrison -- who had 16 in the first half -- replied with a
3-pointer for the Zags. After a Pepperdine free throw, Turiaf
scored seven straight points on a layup, jumper and 3-pointer to
make it 34-25.
Gonzaga led 42-33 at halftime, after connecting on 17 of 28
attempts from the field. Pepperdine was 11-of-32 in the first.
Things got no better for Pepperdine in the second half, with the
Bulldogs opening with a 13-6 run to build a 55-39 lead.
The Zags stretched the lead to 67-42 on Pendergraft's basket.
Pepperdine scored only nine points in the first 11 minutes of the
second half, and at one point had been outscored 27-9 in the half.
Knight suffered a cut lip that required two stitches in the
first half, but stayed in the game. He had 8 points and 6 rebounds
and played his usual role as the team's defensive stopper.
"Erroll did a phenomenal job on weak-side rebounding," Few
said. "He must have been swallowing blood all night."