Gonzaga Can’t Be Stopped at Home

Adam Morrison scored 25 points despite strong defensive pressure and No. 9 Gonzaga defeated Washington State, 67-53, Thursday night to win its 28th in a row at Spokane, Wash.

J.P. Batista added 23 points for Gonzaga (5-2), which was held 18 points below its season average.

Washington State (4-2) has lost seven in a row to Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs have won 40 of their last 41 non-conference home games, and have yet to lose in the two-year-old McCarthey Athletic Center in 16 games.

“That was a great win for us,” Coach Mark Few said, noting his team held Washington State to 37% shooting and made 54% of its shots.

Morrison, who leads the nation with an average of 29 points a game, was eight for 16 from the field.

But Batista was dominant inside, going nine for 11 with nine rebounds and four assists.

“I never played against anyone so strong,” Washington State forward Chris Henry said of Batista.

No. 3 Connecticut 78, Massachusetts 60 -- Rudy Gay had 17 points and the Huskies (7-0) rolled to a victory over the Minutemen (2-2) at Hartford, Conn.

No. 11 Illinois 58, Georgetown 48 -- Dee Brown scored 16 points and the Fighting Illini (9-0) clamped down on defense and defeated the Hoyas (3-2) at Champaign, Ill.

No. 19 George Washington 70, Florida International 45 -- Pops Mensah-Bonsu had 15 points and the Colonials (6-0) rolled past the Golden Panthers (3-3) at Washington.

No. 24 Arizona 75, Northern Arizona 66 -- Hassan Adams scored 21 points and the Wildcats (3-3) held off a late charge by the Lumberjacks (4-5) to win at Tucson.

WOMEN

Ann Strother scored a season-high 24 points and No. 8 Connecticut (7-1) bounced back from its worst home loss in 21 seasons with a 72-56 victory over Villanova (5-2) in a Big East Conference opener at Villanova, Pa. The Huskies lost to North Carolina, 77-54, Monday night.

In other games involving top 25 teams:

La’Tangela Atkinson had 15 points and No. 7 North Carolina (9-0) won its 24th in a row at Chapel Hill, N.C., with an 87-50 victory over Wofford (4-2).... Tiffany Jackson scored 19 points and No. 19 Texas (4-3) rolled to a 77-56 victory over Stephen F. Austin (4-4) at Austin, Texas.... Liz Sherwood scored nine of her 13 points during a key second-half stretch and No. 21 Vanderbilt cruised to a 57-41 victory over Northern Arizona (5-2) at Nashville, Tenn.