Gonzaga overpowers Santa Clara

SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga’s 79-57 victory over Santa Clara was strictly an inside job.

Led by monstrous center Przemek Karnowski, the sixth-ranked Bulldogs outscored Santa Clara 44-14 in the paint and outrebounded the Broncos 41-26 on Saturday night in the West Coast Conference game at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

“There’s only so much you can control against a team like that,” Santa Clara coach Kerry Keating said.

The smaller Broncos were helpless to stop the 7-foot-1, 305-pound Karnowski. He led five Bulldogs in double figures with a game-high 18 points and tied teammate Domantas Sabonis for game honors with nine rebounds. Karnowski sank 8 of 10 shots from the field.

“He’s a load,” Keating said. “You’ve got to do your work on him early (defensively), otherwise he’s going to work you down low.”

The Bulldogs (16-1, 5-0) won their ninth straight game overall and ninth in a row against Santa Clara (7-10, 2-4). Gonzaga has won 34 consecutive home games.

Freshman Matt Hubbard, who grew up following the Bulldogs in nearby Colville, Wash., led the youthful Broncos with 15 points. The 6-9 forward, who drew little recruiting interest from Gonzaga, buried a season-high five 3-pointers on nine attempts.

“I definitely was a little nervous at first, but it was a lot of fun,” Hubbard said.

Karnowski, a junior who is attracting NBA scouts, has improved immensely since leaving his native Poland to play for Gonzaga. Balanced scoring and limited minutes in blowout wins hold down Karnowski’s statistics, but he’s averaging a career-high 11.4 points per game.

“I think the most important thing (regarding improvement) is when I get the ball on the block, I slow down and go aggressive to my move and finish strong,” Karnowski said. “If not, I have great outside shooters, and I have guys cutting (to the basket) who I can easily bust the ball to. I know they will finish.”

Forwards Kyle Wiltjer (16 points, six rebounds) and Sabonis (11 points, nine rebounds) helped Gonzaga dominate inside. Point guard Kevin Pangos contributed 13 points, four assists and four steals, and guard Byron Wesley added 11 points.

“If there’s a better point guard in the country than Pangos, I’d like to see him,” Keating said.

The 6-10 Wiltjer, a Kentucky transfer with a smooth 3-point stroke, made his only 3-point attempt.

“He can go outside and shoot 3’s like a machine,” Karnowski said.

Hot 3-point shooting helped Santa Clara narrow Gonzaga’s lead to 30-29 before the Bulldogs outscored the Broncos 14-2 in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half.

Gonzaga shot 65.4 percent from the field in the first half and 53.4 percent for the game. Santa Clara shot 35.2 percent overall, and despite making only 10 turnovers, the Broncos were outscored 19-4 in points off turnovers.

“They’re a great team, definitely,” said Hubbard, who estimated he had 60 friends and family in the sellout crowd of 6,000. “They have so many weapons.”

Gonzaga coach Mark Few said, “We were crazy efficient on offense, not only taking care of the ball but all having a high percentage of shots.”

Santa Clara guard Jared Brownridge, who had been struggling with his shot, was 5 of 11 from the field and scored 14 points.

Hubbard, meanwhile, continues to hold his own as a starter one year after starring at little Colville High School.

“He’s been a nice surprise,” said Keating, who said there was “a good chance” that Hubbard would have redshirted if not for injuries to other front-line players.

NOTES: Santa Clara senior F Andrew Papenfus, who underwent surgery for a cancerous brain tumor in October, hopes to make his season debut next week. He resumed practicing with the team on Wednesday. … Little-used Broncos F Dominic Romeo, a walk-on football player at Notre Dame in 2012, walked on the basketball team at Santa Clara this season. Romeo graduated magna cum laude from Notre Dame last year with degrees in Chinese and political science. He’s pursuing a master’s degree in theology and plans to become a physician in a developing country. Romeo’s sister, Samantha, is a Gonzaga student who attended Saturday’s game. … Four Gonzaga players grew up in foreign countries, including starting PG Kevin Pangos (Canada) and starting C Przemek Karnowski (Poland).