SPOKANE, Wash. — Ryan Woolridge had 19 points and nine rebounds, and No. 8 Gonzaga held off Texas-Arlington 72-66 Tuesday night.
Killian Tillie played for the first time this season and added 15 points and eight rebounds for Gonzaga (5-0), which has won 26 consecutive home games. Admon Gilder scored 13 points.
Jabari Narcis scored 16 points for UT-Arlington (2-3), sinking all five of his 3-point attempts. Brian Warren and David Azore scored 15 points each for the Mavericks, who lost at No. 11 Oregon 67-47 on Sunday.
Tillie missed the first four games recovering from knee surgery.
Gonzaga led by two when UT-Arlington made three straight 3-pointers, two by Narcis, to take a 22-15 lead in the first half. Gonzaga made just six of its first 21 shots (28.6%).
Gonzaga used a 13-5 run to take a 28-27 lead at halftime. Woolridge scored the final seven points for Gonzaga, including a layup at the buzzer for the lead.
The pace picked up in the second half, with Gonzaga leading 40-37 in the opening minutes behind six points from Woolridge.
Gonzaga went on a 13-4 run for a 53-41 lead, but six straight points brought the Mavericks within 53-47 with 8 minutes left.
Five points by Woolridge helped push Gonzaga’s lead to 59-49.
The Mavericks got within 69-63 behind eight points by Azore, but they were forced to foul as time ran down.
BIG PICTURE
UT-Arlington: The Mavericks average just 69 points per game, 26 fewer than Gonzaga. They allow 64 ppg. The Mavericks are ninth in the nation with 137 3-point attempts. They beat the Bulldogs in their first meeting in 1992.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs are one of six teams in the nation to start the past four seasons 4-0. Gonzaga came in second in the nation in field goal shooting at 56.6% and in victory margin at 35.5 points. Tuesday night was the 15th anniversary of the opening of the McCarthey Athletic Center, and the Bulldogs are 210-15 at home, with every game sold-out.
UP NEXT
UT-Arlington plays at Arkansas Tech on Sunday.
Gonzaga plays Cal State-Bakersfield on Saturday.