Photo Gallery; Friday Scores; Standings

Most teams are lucky enough to have that one player that they can turn to when they need a big play. The Gonzaga Eagles have two, and they rode Tyler Thornton and Cedrick Lindsey to a 75-71 victory over the Good Counsel Falcons.

“I’m going to miss the heck out of these two guys, but they are special, they know how to play off of each other, they led by example and helped our team get a win against a very good team,” said Gonzaga head coach Steve Turner.

Whether it was Thornton (24 points) knocking down huge three-pointers and forcing turnovers, or Lindsey (23 points) scoring nine straight points to give his team a nine-point lead, the Falcons just did not have an answer.

Thornton, who missed Tuesday’s game with a sprained ankle, made his presence felt early, scoring five quick points. Good Counsel, however, was not going to just roll over. With Ben Hazel leading the way, the first period ended with the teams knotted at nine.

The second period was much of the same. When one team seemed to gain some momentum, the other team would respond, and at halftime the Eagles held a 34-30 advantage.

With the game getting tighter with every passing possession, Lindsey decided it was time to take over. He would go on to score nine straight points, and help lead the Eagles to an 11-point lead. The game looked like it was going to get out of hand, but after a Rodney Glasgow floater, and a Matt McCarthy three-pointer, Good Counsel was able to cut the lead to 50-45 at the end of the third.

The Eagles backcourt tandem really flexed their muscles to open the fourth quarter. Thornton knocked down a huge three to answer the one hit by the Falcons right before the third quarter buzzer, and Lindsey followed up with one of his own on the very next play, pushing the Gonzaga lead back to 11.

Good Counsel forward Devin Wright-Nelson would answer with a basket and free throw. After a Hazel layup and jumper, the Falcons were only down six, 62-56 with three minutes and 40 seconds left.

It was almost like he knew he had to make a play, and Thornton would do just that. Thornton would pull up for a deep three that hit nothing but the bottom of the net, and give the Eagles a comfortable nine-point lead. They would knock down clutch free throws, and come away with a 75-71 victory.

“I told our guys to be patient, and we were able to get some ball reversals, and our players made plays and that’s how we were able to finish it off,” said Turner.