Kevin Pangos and Elias Harris each scored 19 points as Gonzaga beat Butler, 71-55, on Tuesday night in Spokane in a showdown of two of the most successful midmajor programs in the nation.
Harris added nine rebounds for Gonzaga (8-2), which was coming off a win over Arizona.
Erik Fromm led Butler (5-7), a two-time NCAA title game finalist, with 16 points. Butler beat Purdue on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.
After trailing by 10 at halftime, Butler was doomed by 30 percent shooting in the second half and its deficit never got smaller than six points.
A 3-pointer by Fromm brought Butler to within 51-45 with 10 minutes left, but Sam Dower and Pangos both replied with 3’s for Gonzaga. Butler got within 59-52, but David Stockton made a basket and Gary Bell Jr. converted four free throws to rebuild Gonzaga’s lead to 65-52 with 2:30 left.
PACIFIC-12 WOMEN
At No. 4 Stanford 97, No. 6 Tennessee 80: Nnemkadi Ogwumike scored a career-high 42 points in leading the Cardinal past the Volunteers.
Stanford extended its school-record home winning streak to 68 games at Maples Pavilion, where a sellout crowd of 7,329 waved red “We Back Pat” rally towels in support of Hall of Fame Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, who revealed in August she has early-onset Alzheimer’s.
Toni Kokenis scored a career-high 26 points with five 3-pointers for Stanford (8-1). Shekinna Stricklen scored 27 points to lead the Vols (7-3).
At Washington 64, Southern 56: Regina Rogers had 14 points, and Mackenzie Argens added 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Huskies (8-2) beat the Jaguars (1-6) of Louisiana.
The Huskies trailed by four points at halftime before outscoring Southern, 34-22, in the second half.
Kendra Coleman led all scorers with 26 points for the Jaguars.
PACIFIC-12 MEN
Solomon Hill had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Josh Fogg added 17 points and Arizona (8-4) made 16 of 24 second-half shots to beat Oakland, 85-73, in Tucson, Ariz. … Norman Powell scored a career-high 19 points to lead five players in double figures as UCLA (6-5) cruised to an 89-60 victory over UC Irvine in Los Angeles – the Bruins’ fourth straight win. … Garrett Sim and E.J. Singler scored 13 points each, and Oregon (7-3) overcame 16-for-49 shooting (33 percent) to defeat North Carolina Central, 58-45, at the Global Sports Hoops Showcase in Eugene, Ore.
LOCAL MEN
At Saint Mary’s 77, Eastern Washington 61: Matthew Dellavedova matched his career high with 25 points and Rob Jones had 19 points and 11 rebounds to push the Gaels past the Eagles.
Clint Steindl added 12 points and seven rebounds for Saint Mary’s (9-1), which has won seven straight.
The Gaels led by 17 late in the second half but had to hold on after the Eagles – aided by a pair of technical fouls – cut the gap to single digits. Saint Mary’s made a season-high 32 free throws, 13 in the final 3:10.
Collin Chiverton had 18 points for EWU (6-6).
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