Petrusev leads No. 1 Gonzaga over Detroit Mercy 93-72

Filip Petrusev scored 22 points as top-ranked Gonzaga beat Detroit Mercy 93-72 on Monday night to wrap up the non-conference season.

Ryan Woolridge added 21 points and eight assists for Gonzaga (14-1), which earlier Monday retained the No. 1 ranking in the poll for the second week. Gonzaga had not played since Dec. 21. Drew Timme scored 13 points and Anton Watson 11 for the Zags.

Antoine Davis scored 31 points and Justin Miller 17 for Detroit Mercy (2-12), which was playing the nation's top-ranked team for the first time since they lost to Michigan in the 1977 NCAA Tournament in Dick Vitale's last game as the Titans coach.

Gonzaga has won 31 consecutive home games, longest streak in the nation.

Gonzaga came out hot and built a 27-8 lead in the first nine minutes. The Zags got three 3-pointers from Woolridge during the run.

The Titans fought back and Davis hit a long 3-pointer to bring Detroit Mercy within 32-19. Three consecutive 3-pointers by the Titans — by Davis, Willy Isiani and Jordan Gorman — cut Gonzaga's lead to 40-30.

Gonzaga replied with a 13-7 run to take a 53-37 lead at halftime.

The Zags shot 73 percent (19-of-26) in the first half, including 7-of-11 from 3-point range. Woolridge led all scorers with 17 points in the first, including all four of his 3-point attempts.

Neither team shot well in the second half.

But the Bulldogs scored the first 12 points of the second, building a 65-37 lead and holding the Titans scoreless for more than four minutes.

Davis hit a 3-pointer to bring the Titans within 77-58 late in the second half, but the Bulldogs held them off for their sixth consecutive win.

BIG PICTURE

Detroit Mercy: The Titans are 20-131 against ranked teams, including beating top-ranked Bradley and Oklahoma A&M during the 1951-52 season ... They have not beaten a ranked team since 2002 ... Antoine Davis, son of coach Mike Davis, came in averaging 25 points per game, third in the nation ... But the Titans average just 66.9 points per game.

Gonzaga: The Bulldogs are coming off a week-long break for Christmas and this was their first defense of the No. 1 ranking this season ... The Zags average 88 points per game, second in the nation, and are the only team with six players averaging in double digits ... Gonzaga went 308-54 in the past decade, the most victories in the nation.

UP NEXT

Detroit Mercy hosts Northern Kentucky on Friday.

Gonzaga opens defense of its West Coast Conference regular season title at Portland on Thursday. The Zags went 16-0 in conference last season.

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