What Gonzaga's Khalif Battle said after win vs. Pepperdine

Bulldogs sixth-year guard led the way with 21 points

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle. / James Snook-Imagn Images

Who knows how Gonzaga's last nonconference game against UCLA would've played out if Khalif Battle hadn't been forced to exit early in the first half?

The 6-foot-5 guard looked like he'd play a crucial role against the Bruins given his ability to drive and create foul pressure at the rim. Battle scored five points in 13 minutes before being assessed a flagrant-2 foul with 4:13 left in the first half, ending his night and forcing the Bulldogs to go on without one of their best closers. UCLA hung on to win, 65-62.

It seems like "what if" has been used to describe the Zags' season a lot already heading into conference play. What if it hadn't been for a late-game turnover against West Virginia that forced overtime in the Bahamas? What if just one 3-pointer had gone down during the second-half collapse to Kentucky? What if one more basket fell during the last three minutes in the 6-point defeat to UConn?

A case could be made that Gonzaga is a few possessions away from being undefeated after suffering four losses in nonleague play by an average of 4.5 points. Following Saturday's closer-than-expected win over Pepperdine, it appears this much is certain about the Zags: when the game's final outcome is hanging in the balance, expect Mark Few's sixth-year guard to have the ball in his hands.

Battle scored six points in the final 55 seconds, including four clutch free throws, to lead Gonzaga past upset-minded Pepperdine, 89-82, in the West Coast Conference opener from Malibu, California. Battle tied his season-high with 21 points on 7-for-11 from the field as the Bulldogs took down the Waves for the 48th time in a row.

Here's what Battle had to say after the game.

On coming back from Saturday's game vs. UCLA

"I felt good. Coach gave me the confidence, told me that he's gonna rock with me. So I felt I was aggressive, I felt really comfortable. It was a good team win. I'm proud of our guys. The goal is to win the league. So that's what we're gonna try to do."

On what he saw during Pepperdine's comeback

"They're a good team. They played well together, hit some big shots. But we gotta do better. We look at film and correct all these things and get better from. That's part of the season. Some games are gonna be closer than others. A win is a win."

On coming away with a close win after falling short in other instances this season

"I mean any close game is going to be tough. I'm just happy we got to win. Some games are going to close, some games are not. Some guys are going to shoot really good from the field and some days people are not going to make shots. We just got to find a way to win the game."

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after win vs. Pepperdine

• What Gonzaga's Braden Huff said after win vs. Pepperdine

• Gonzaga survives Pepperdine for win in WCC opener: 3 takeaways

• Gonzaga Bulldogs 89, Pepperdine Waves 82: Live score updates recap, highlights

• Gonzaga basketball plane nearly collides with Delta jet at LAX

• Men's college basketball rankings: Gonzaga continues plunge down AP Top 25 poll

• Gonzaga's Drew Timme is on the move following NBA G League trade

• Gonzaga to honor Domantas Sabonis in pregame ceremony

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Continue to follow our Gonzaga coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Instagram and Twitter.