Gonzaga Staves Off Winthrop 74-64

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Gonzaga found out how uncomfortable it can be to be a favorite in the NCAA tournament. Fourteenth-seeded Winthrop almost did to the Bulldogs what third-seeded Gonzaga has done to several top teams over the years before the &#39;Zags grabbed control late and won 74-64 Thursday night in the first round of the Albuquerque Regional.<br> <br> The loss snapped Winthrop&#39;s 18-game winning streak, longest in the nation. Gonzaga (26-4) won its 13th in a row.<br> <br> Neither team led by more than eight points until the very end of the second half, and it was tied four times in the final 20 minutes.<br> <br> Adam Morrison led Gonzaga with 27 points. J.P. Batista added 14 points and Ronny Turiaf had 13 points and 13 rebounds. <br> <br> Torrell Martin scored 22 points and made six 3-pointers - both career highs - for the Eagles (27-6), who are 0-5 in the NCAA tournament. Phillip Williams tied his career high with 17 points and Craig Bradshaw grabbed 11 rebounds.<br> <br> Last year, the &#39;Zags lost in the second round as a No. 2 seed. They haven&#39;t gotten out of that round since 2001, when they were a No. 12 seed.<br> <br> Gonzaga outscored the Eagles 14-4 over the final 4:54 to pull away. Bradshaw made Winthrop&#39;s only field goal in that stretch.<br> <br> Martin got a steal and a fast-break layup and Williams made two free throws for a 60-all tie. Then Derek Raivio and Morrison hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Gonzaga the lead for good, 66-60, with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. <br> <br> Winthrop brought a loyal gold-shirted following from Rock Hill, S.C., a suburb of Charlotte, N.C. The school&#39;s 6,658 students, who pay $4 to attend home basketball games, are about 70 percent women, a remnant of Winthrop&#39;s former status as an all-women&#39;s teachers college.<br> <br> Winthrop led by six points three times in the first half, when neither team shot well.<br> <br> Erroll Knight capped a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer to give Gonzaga a 19-18 lead. The Eagles outscored the &#39;Zags 17-14 to close the half ahead 35-33. They hit four 3-pointers, including three straight, in the spurt.

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