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Wiltjer helps No. 8 Gonzaga pass road test at BYU

Dec 28, 2014 - 2:51 AM Provo, UT (SportsNetwork.com) - Kyle Wiltjer scored 24 points to help No. 8 Gonzaga make a second-half comeback for an 87-80 win over Brigham Young in a West Coast Conference opener on Saturday.

Kevin Pangos added 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range and also dished out seven assists for the Bulldogs (12-1, 1-0 WCC). Gonzaga received 15 points and 10 rebounds from Byron Wesley.

Gonzaga trailed by six a few minutes into the second half, but the Bulldogs were able to come from behind by limiting BYU to 32.1 percent shooting in the second half, including 2-of-13 from long distance.

"We got pushed and pushed and tested by a really tough, hard-nosed, confident BYU team. It felt like four games within one," said Bulldogs coach Mark Few. "Luckily, we made the plays and tightened up the defense down the stretch, and that was the difference."

The Cougars (10-4, 0-1) got 13 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds from Kyle Collinsworth for his second triple-double of the season, but it was not enough. Tyler Haws and Anson Winder led BYU with 17 points each.

BYU made just three of its first 15 attempts from the floor as Gonzaga jumped out to a 16-point lead. From there, the Cougars made six straight shots to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 35-31 with 4:18 left in the half.

At the buzzer, Collinsworth hit a long 3-pointer to tie the game at 43 going into the break. The Bulldogs could not get a stop over the final nine minutes and the Cougars made 11 of their last 15 shots to close the half.

Out of the break, Brigham Young took its first lead of the game on three consecutive Hawes free throws to open the half. The Cougars led by as much as six after a 6-0 spurt, but their shooting struggles returned.

While BYU missed its first nine attempts from long distance in the second half, Gonzaga made four in a three minute span to retake the lead with 12 minutes remaining.

"I think we had enough in us to win it," said Collinsworth. "We just needed to make the plays."

Frank Bartley IV responded by hitting three straight free throws, but Gonzaga took the lead for good after two straight baskets from Wiltjer. The Cougars forced one more tie at 67 before Wiltjer and Pangos scored eight straight points for the Bulldogs to get some breathing room.

Skyler Halford finally ended Brigham Young's 3-point drought with six minutes to go, and he hit another less than a minute later to pull the Cougars within four. BYU only made one more shot from the floor after that, and Gonzaga made its free throws to hold onto the lead.

Game Notes

Gonzaga was picked first in the preseason WCC poll, and BYU was picked second ... Gonzaga has won 19 conference openers in a row ... Pangos moved into the top-10 on Gonzaga's all-time scoring list ... Both teams will take the floor again Monday with Gonzaga traveling to San Diego and BYU hosting Portland.