No. 4 Gonzaga reaches triple digits, throttles UMass-Lowell

Khalif Battle scored a game-high 21 points, leading six players in double figures as No. 4 Gonzaga never trailed in defeating visiting UMass Lowell 113-54 Friday night in a nonconference game in Spokane, Wash.Nolan Hickman added 14 for the Bulldogs (3-0), who trounced then-No. 8 Baylor 101-63 in their opener and then got past Arizona State 88-80 last Sunday. Braden Huff and Ryan Nembhard each scored 13 points and Graham Ike and Dusty Stromer had 11 apiece. Ben Gregg added seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the hosts and Nembhard had eight assists without a turnover.Quinton Mincey led the River Hawks (2-1) with 10 points and Martin Somerville, Max Brooks and Cam Morris III each scored nine.The Bulldogs shot 41 of 76 from the field (53.9 percent), including 10 of 22 from 3-point range. UMass Lowell shot 18 of 50 (36 percent) and was 3 of 16 from distance.Gonzaga forced 25 turnovers while committing just nine, leading to a 32-10 scoring advantage in points off turnovers and a 36-2 edge in fast-break points. The Bulldogs also outscored UMass Lowell 60-20 in the paint and 48-12 off the bench.Hickman scored 12 points, making 4 of 5 3-point attempts, and Battle tallied 10 as the Bulldogs raced to a 49-27 halftime lead.Gonzaga scored the game’s first five points and led 10-2 on a 3-pointer by Battle.

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