Drew Timme scored 29 points and grabbed 17 rebounds Monday night as No. 18 Gonzaga rallied in the final 3 1/2 minutes to subdue Kent State 73-66 in Spokane, Wash.
Timme converted a layup with 2:29 left to give the Bulldogs (6-3) the lead for good at 67-66. Timme made the first of two free throws at the 1:55 mark and missed the second, but Malachi Smith rebounded it and converted a three-point play for a 71-66 lead.
Julian Strawther added 14 points for Gonzaga, including a 3-pointer with 3:19 left that started its comeback. Nolan Hickman chipped in 10 points.
Miryne Thomas scored 16 points for the Golden Flashes, draining a 3-pointer with 3:41 remaining that gave them a 66-62 lead. But it was their last bucket of the night as they missed their final five shots.
Malique Jacobs added 11 points for Kent State (6-3) and Sincere Carry, its leading scorer this season, managed 10 points. Carry made just 4 of 15 shots from the field.
The Golden Flashes nearly pulled off a huge upset for the second time this season. They almost knocked off then-No. 2 Houston on Nov. 26 before losing 49-44 on the road.
After being held to 63 points Friday night in a one-point loss to Baylor, Gonzaga resembled its usually efficient, high-scoring self early. It led 14-11 at the first TV timeout five minutes into the game, thanks to a dunk by Anton Watson.
Then the Zags slipped into a rut and managed just three points in the next 6 1/2 minutes while Kent State grabbed a 21-17 advantage when Giovanni Santiago drove for a layup.
At that point, Gonzaga found its rhythm again and ripped off 20 points in just over six minutes. Rasir Bolton’s fastbreak layup gave it a 37-30 cushion with 2:15 remaining in the first half. The margin got to eight before Carry drove for a layup with six seconds on the clock, pulling the Golden Flashes within 40-34 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
