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Gonzaga Basketball

Freshmen Killian Tillie strong in first game as Zag

Gonzaga forward Killian Tillie (33) goes for a layup during the first half of a college basketball game in the McCarthey Athletic Center, Fri., Nov. 11, 2016. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
By Michael Gulledge staff writer
Gonzaga forward Killian Tillie (33) goes for a layup during the first half of a college basketball game in the McCarthey Athletic Center, Fri., Nov. 11, 2016. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)

Freshman Killian Tillie, a 6-foot-10 forward, played 21 minutes on Friday night but made his presence known in Gonzaga’s season opener.

In his first official game in a GU uniform, Tillie dominated the glass and recorded nine rebounds to lead the Zags defensively.

Eight of the rebounds were in the first half, along with a three-pointer at the 14:41 mark to give the Bulldogs a 15-6 lead.

Tillie attended the National Institute of Sport and Physical Education (INSEP) in France, located just outside of Paris. The school specializes in training athletes to excel in academics and athletics.

Although this was his first official game for Gonzaga, Tillie had four offensive rebounds in the Zag’s exhibition game against West Georgia in which they cruised to a 122-76 win.

Tillie said the exhibition game helped take away the nerves associated with playing in his first official game Friday night. “It was a good game,” he said. “Lot of intensity in the game and I felt good.”