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 His lone shot -- a 3-pointer with 14:33 left in the second half
-- tied the game, helping Gonzaga (23-1, 11-0 WCC) overcome a
six-point second-half deficit to record its 16th straight win
overall and its 10th consecutive victory over Santa Clara.
Neither Pangos, the team's second-highest scorer, nor forward Kyle
Wiltjer, Gonzaga's leading scorer, took a shot in the game's first
15 minutes. However, the Bulldogs still wound up shooting a
season-high 69 percent from the field, including 5-of-6 shooting on
3-pointers.
"That's pretty darn efficient," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "Can't
complain about that. The only complaint was with the turnovers. We
had 10 in the first half, and all were unforced."
Those turnovers helped Santa Clara (11-13, 5-7) take a two-point
lead into halftime, but the Bulldogs shot their way out of it in the
second half, when they made 15 of 21 shots and turned the ball over
just four times.
The outstanding shooting is nothing new for the Bulldogs. They
entered the game leading the nation in field-goal percentage at 52.8
percent, and they shot 50 percent or better for the ninth time in
their past 10 games.
 Wiltjer led the Bulldogs with 22 points, while guard Byron Wesley
had 17 points and guard Gary Bell Jr. added 16.
"I thought we played hard and battled and put ourselves in position
to win," Santa Clara coach Kerry Keating said. "We just don't have
that one guy."
Guard Jared Brownridge looked like that "one guy" for a while. He
led the Broncos with 25 points -- 17 of which came during a span of
7:35 that bridged the final minutes of the first half and the
opening minutes of the second. He made all four of his 3-point
attempts.
"He's a great player," Few said. "Sometimes in this building, he
makes magical shots."
The Bulldogs trailed 46-40 when Brownridge scored on a reverse layup
with 17:21 left in the second half. However, Gonzaga tied it at
47-47 when Pangos hit his 3-pointer.
Asked whether he ever took just one shot in a game, Pangos said, "I
couldn't tell you. I don't know. I was just glad I got open."
It was the first time this season he attempted only one shot from
the floor. He attempted at least four shots in every other game
except for his two-shot effort in a 105-55 rout of St. Thomas
Aquinas on Nov. 22.
"It just shows we have a lot of depth," Pangos said.
Gonzaga took a 49-47 lead less than a minute after Pangos' basket
when Pangos fed Wesley for a layup. Wiltjer completed the Bulldogs'
20-4 run with two free throws at the 9:04 mark, giving Gonzaga a
10-point lead.
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Santa Clara did not challenge again.
"It's just tough to swallow when you have a chance," Keating said.
"It's just another step in the process, but it's a tough way to grow
up."
The Broncos could not withstand the cumulative effect of Gonzaga's
advantage in size, experience and talent. And this season, the
Bulldogs have the balance they didn't possess in past seasons.
"It's definitely different from what we've had in the past," Few
said. "We can score at all five positions."
Wiltjer did not take his first shot until 4:36 remained in the first
half, but he still wound up as the Bulldogs' top scorer. When he
threw down an unnecessary dunk at the buzzer, it drew a chorus of
boos from the Santa Clara crowd.
Wiltjer later apologized.
"I feel real bad for that," he said. "Someone said something on the
sideline, and I took it personal."
NOTES: Santa Clara committed just one turnover in the first half but
had six in the second half. ... Gonzaga reached the top two in the
Associated Press rankings for the second time in three years. The
Bulldogs did not reach the No. 2 spot until Feb. 25 in the 2012-13
season before ascending to No. 1 on March 4. ... Gonzaga beat Santa
Clara 79-57 earlier this season in Spokane, Wash. ... Santa Clara F
Andrew Papenfus, who had surgery to remove a brain tumor in October,
saw his first game action of the season at BYU on Jan. 31. Papenfus
was hospitalized again this week and will be inactive for the next
few games. ... Gonzaga's 23-1 record represents the best start in
school history. The previous best opening was 17-1 in 2012-13.
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