Joel Ayayi had 21 points and seven rebounds and Andrew Nembhard added 19 points and six assists to lead No. 1 Gonzaga to an 87-82 victory Wednesday night against No. 11 West Virginia at the Jimmy V Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Corey Kispert (19 points) and Drew Timme (17) followed in double figures for the Bulldogs, who improved to 3-0 behind 61.8 percent shooting in the second half.
Derek Culver notched a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds for West Virginia. Oscar Tshiebwe had 14 points and nine rebounds and Gabe Osabuohien added 10 points, but both big men fouled out for the Mountaineers (3-1) down the stretch.
Taz Sherman (12 points) and Miles McBride (10) rounded out a balanced West Virginia attack.
Tshiebwe and Culver combined for 17 points and 17 rebounds in the first half, including five offensive boards, to help the Mountaineers to a 39-34 advantage at halftime. West Virginia established its size advantage early and led by as many as nine points before the break.
With Culver, Tshiebwe and Osabuohien battling foul trouble down the stretch, Timme helped Gonzaga seize control. The forward, who shot just 1-for-9 in the first 20 minutes, scoring three points, converted a three-point play with 9:13 remaining to give the Bulldogs a 61-58 lead.
Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs suffered a non-contact injury to his left ankle with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half and Gonzaga leading 20-19. Unable to walk off the floor under his own power, Suggs had four points, four rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes. He received treatment and returned in the second half, playing with a limp.
Gonzaga relinquished the lead only once after that, and Timme's transition layup with 6:05 to go gave the Bulldogs the advantage for good at 69-67. The Bulldogs led by as many as nine points in the final minute and outscored the Mountaineers 60-30 in the paint.
--Field Level Media
