SPOKANE, Wash. — Filip Petrusev had 19 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots as No. 8 Gonzaga beat North Dakota 97-66 on Tuesday.
Corey Kispert scored 20 points and Anton Watson added 15 for Gonzaga (3-0), which has romped to victory in all three games. Six Bulldogs scored in double figures.
The Zags have won all six meetings with the Fighting Hawks.
Marlon Stewart scored 21 points and Filip Rebraca had 16 points and 13 rebounds for North Dakota (1-1), which took Gonzaga to overtime before losing here in 2017.
No such thriller this time, as Gonzaga held the Fighting Hawks to 34.7% shooting and outrebounded them 53-29.
Gonzaga jumped to a 15-2 lead as North Dakota missed eight of its first nine shots.
Kispert and Admon Gilder each hit 3-pointers as Gonzaga built a 25-9 lead.
North Dakota found its shooting touch and consecutive 3-pointers by Stewart cut Gonzaga's lead to 30-21.
The Bulldogs replied with a 14-1 run.
Gonzaga led 55-36 at halftime, after holding the Fighting Hawks to 35% shooting and out rebounding them 28-14 in the first.
Gonzaga pushed the lead to 65-40 midway through the second, behind three consecutive baskets by Watson.
BIG PICTURE
North Dakota: Freshman De'Sean Allen-Eikens scored 22 points in a season-opening win over Crown, but was held in check Tuesday. North Dakota has never beaten a ranked team since joining Division I in 2008. North Dakota has 11 returning letter winners, including four who started at least 16 games last season.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs came in shooting 60% from the field, second in the nation. They average 102.5 points per game. They have six freshmen on their roster and one returning starter in Kispert. Gonzaga's 165 wins in the past five seasons are tops in Division I.
UP NEXT
North Dakota plays at Valparaiso on Sunday.
Gonzaga faces its toughest test of the young season at Texas A&M on Friday.
