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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga-Utah Valley: 3 keys to GU’s 92-69 win

Gonzaga guard Jordan Mathews pressures Utah Valley guard Conner Toolson, Nov. 11 , 2016, at the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga guard Jordan Mathews pressures Utah Valley guard Conner Toolson, Nov. 11 , 2016, at the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo

Key moment

The Zags jumped out to a quick lead in their season opener, scoring eight unanswered points to start. Nigel Williams-Goss accounted for the first field goal after 19 seconds, and followed with a 3-point jumper 10 seconds later. Jordan Mathews also scored a 3-pointer shortly after Williams-Goss to set the tone early. Utah Valley did not score its first basket until the 17:47 mark.

Offensive Player of the Game

Jordan Mathews led the offense for the Bulldogs, scoring 16 points and shooting 4 of 7 from behind the arc. One of the 3-pointers was in the first minute to increase the Zags’ lead to eight and set the tone for the rest of the game. Mathews was second on the team in assists with five.

Defensive Player of the Game

Coming off of the bench and playing a total of 21 minutes, freshmen Killian Tillie recorded nine rebounds, including one offensive board, to earn defensive player of the game for the Zags’ home opener. Tillie also had a block and scored nine points in the win.