Bulldogs rout UTSA in tuneup

Any fears coach Mark Few might have had about his Gonzaga Bulldogs looking past the University of Texas at San Antonio were alleviated early Sunday night.

The Zags, even with Wednesday’s monster matchup against North Carolina in New York’s Madison Square lurking on the horizon, focused on the here and now from the opening tip against the Roadrunners and raced to an easy 92-48 win in the McCarthey Atheltic Center.

Senior guard Derek Raivio scored 21 points and Abdullahi Kuso, a first-year junior transfer, contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds to post his first NCAA Division I double-double as the Bulldogs (4-0) treated a sellout crowd of 6,000 to a 42nd consecutive home win, while running their unblemished record in the McCarthey Center to 30-0.

“I thought we had a great approach tonight,” Few said. “What we had gathered of (the Roadrunners) from tape is they play really, really hard. And we knew they were going to come in here and compete.

“But I think we matched their intensity and really got after them on the glass, and that’s kind of what blew the game open.”

The Bulldogs, who outrebounded UTSA 49-26, sprinted to an early 19-6 lead that they boosted to 29-8 within a 2-minute span as Raivio spotted up on the left wing and knocked down two of his three 3-pointers, and teammate Sean Mallon followed with another trey from the top of the key.

“This is the classic game that a lot of teams look past,” said Mallon, a senior forward, who scored seven points but played only 16 minutes as Few rested his regulars for long periods of time – including the last 6-plus minutes of the game. “But I thought we did a good job of not really falling into that trap.

“Everybody thought we’d be looking ahead to North Carolina, and it’s hard not to. But we had a lot of different guys come out and contribute early tonight, which I think really helped keep us focused.”

The Zags had one minor lull against UTSA (1-3), letting the Roadrunners, who got a game-high 22 points from Isaiah Allen, scratch back to within 57-40 early in the second half. But Few called a quick timeout to address the situation, and the Bulldogs responded by launching a 16-2 run that decided things.

Next up for GU is No. 2-ranked North Carolina (3-0), which will provide the opposition in Wednesday’s semifinals of the Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off in The Garden.

The tournament’s consolation finals and title game will be played on Friday.

Downs has surgery

Gonzaga sophomore Micah Downs underwent surgery to pin the broken fifth metatarsal on his left foot Sunday morning and, according to GU coach Mark Few, Downs will be out at least six weeks.

At that time, his status will be re-evaluated. Downs still has the option of redshirting and keeping three years of eligibility.

Downs is a 6-foot-8 shooting guard and former McDonald’s prep All-American out of Juanita High School who transferred from Kansas in the middle of the 2005-06 season. He had been expected to become eligible in early December after sitting out two semesters under the NCAA’s transfer rule.

Gonzaga 92, UTSA 48

Percentages: FG .333. FT .500. 3-Point Goals: 3-13, .231 (Allen 3-5, Peters 0-1, Otis 0-1, R.Williams 0-1, Attaway 0-2, Reynolds 0-3) Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots: 4 (Hall 2, Smith, Williams). Turnovers: 17 (Spencer, Hall, Allen 3, Smith 2, Williams 2, Reynolds 2, Oits 3, Peters 2, Maiden 1) Steals: 5 (Spencer, Smith, Williams, Reynolds 2). Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .517, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 4-12, .333 (Raivio 3-7, Mallon 1-2, Bouldin 0-1, Altidor-Cespedes 0-2). Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots: 7 (Heytvelt, Mast, Foster, Team 4). Turnovers: 9 (Mallon, Pargo 2, Altidor-Cespedes, Raivio 2, Mast, Pendergraft, Foster). Steals: 8 (Raivio 2, Sorenson, Bouldin 4, Kuso). Technical Fouls: Pargo. Halftime– Gonzaga 51, Texas-San Antonio 29. A–6,000.