Gonzaga 80, West Virginia 76

[December 11, 2013]  MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Przemek Karnowski scored a season-high 19 points and matched a career high with 13 rebounds as the visiting No. 16 Gonzaga Bulldogs used a late second-half rally to power past the Mountaineers 80-76.

Kevin Pangos scored 18 points and sparked a 13-0 second-half surge with three straight 3-pointers for Gonzaga (9-1), which improved to 3-0 all-time against West Virginia (6-4). Gary Bell, Jr. added 15 points and nine rebounds while Sam Dower chipped in 11 points.

Eron Harris scored 18 of his game-high 23 points in the first half for the Mountaineers, who could not hold a double-digit second-half lead despite committing a season-low five turnovers. Juwan Staten tallied 17 points and nine rebounds while Terry Henderson finished with 15 points for West Virginia.

The Mountaineers committed one turnover in the opening 20 minutes and rode four first-half 3-pointers from Harris to take a 39-35 advantage at the break before stretching it to 10 early in the second half on a layup by Staten. Henderson converted a four-point play and Staten hit a jumper to make it 66-61 with 7:03 left, but West Virginia went the next 5 ½ minutes with a field goal.

While the Mountaineers went cold, Pangos supplied 11 of the Bulldogs’ 13 unanswered points to turn the game around. Harris ended West Virginia’s field-goal drought with his fifth 3-pointer and Staten hit another jumper to rally the Mountaineers within two with 54 seconds left, but a dunk from Dower and two late free throws preserved the win.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Bulldogs, who do not play another true road game until they travel to West Coast Conference rival Portland on Jan. 9, have won six straight and 12 of their last 13 such contests. … West Virginia lost for only the second time in 53 games at home against non-conference opponents. … The Bulldogs trailed at the break for the first time this season.

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