PORTLAND, Ore. — The Gonzaga men’s basketball team finished the weekend in Portland with a win over Xavier.
The Zags competed in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament over the weekend, losing to eventual tournament champion Purdue in the semifinal round. Purdue defeated Duke in the championship game. With Sunday’s win, the Zags moved into third place in the tournament.
The Zags led by 13 in the first half, leading 40-34 after 20 minutes of play. But Javier did not go away, eventually gaining a six-point lead. But the Zags came back on top thanks to star center Drew Thiem and the shooting of forward Julian Strother.
With less than two minutes remaining, Strother hit a three-pointer to give the Zags a six-point lead. After exchanging free throws, the Zags won 88-84.
The Zags shot over 54 percent from beyond the arc and 50 percent from the field. The advantage was at the free throw line as the Zags shot better from the line and held Xavier to just five free throws all game.
Thieme finished the night with 16 points. Strother finished the night with 23 points and nine rebounds. Xavier’s Jack Nange led the way with 25 points.
The Zags next play Friday against Baylor in a rematch of the 2021 NCAA Championship.
READ: No. 6 Gonzaga falls to No. 24 Purdue
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