Stepp Heats Up, Gonzaga Rolls

Blake Stepp scored 24 points, all on three-point baskets in the second half, and No. 4 Gonzaga defeated undermanned San Diego, 97-78, Thursday night at Spokane, Wash.

Cory Violette had 20 points for Gonzaga, 24-2 overall and 13-0 in the West Coast Conference. The Bulldogs’ 17-game winning streak is third-longest in the country behind Stanford and Saint Joseph’s, the only unbeaten teams remaining in Division I and the only teams to defeat Gonzaga this season.

Stepp’s eight three-point baskets gave him a career total of 281, breaking Richie Frahm’s school record of 280.

San Diego (4-24, 1-12) has lost five in a row and 16 of 17.

With leading scorer Brice Vounang and guard Mike McGrain out because of injuries, San Diego had four walk-ons on the roster and only five scholarship players. Brandon Gay led the Toreros with 21 points.

No. 5 Duke 97, Valparaiso 63 -- Daniel Ewing scored 20 points to lift the Blue Devils (23-3) past the Crusaders (13-12) in a nonconference game at Durham, N.C.

Duke has won 41 in a row at home, the longest streak in the nation. Pittsburgh has won 40 in a row. Joaquim Gomes scored 18 points to lead Valparaiso.

OTHER GAMES

Doron Perkins scored 17 points, including a basket and two free throws down the stretch, to lead Santa Clara (14-14, 6-7 WCC) to a 55-54 victory over Portland (10-16, 4-9) at Portland, Ore.... Omar Thomas scored a career-high 32 points at Ruston, La., to lead Texas El Paso (21-5, 12-4 Western Athletic) to a 76-65 victory over Louisiana Tech (13-12, 7-8). Travis Diener scored 20 points at Tampa, Fla., to lead Marquette (15-9, 6-7 Conference USA) to a 70-63 victory over South Florida (7-17, 1-12).

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Dave Bliss, the former Baylor coach, made payments to players, allowed major NCAA infractions and then tried to cover up the improprieties, President Robert Sloan said. In summing up a seven-month internal investigation, Sloan said Baylor “failed to exercise appropriate institutional control” and missed clues that could have stopped wrongdoing by Bliss. The school will send its report to the NCAA, which could impose even harsher sanctions or accept Baylor’s self-imposed penalties of reduced scholarships, an additional year of probation and a one-year ban on postseason play.... Torin Francis, Notre Dame’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, could miss the rest of the season because of a lower back injury. The Irish (13-11) play UCLA (11-13) Saturday.