Kyle Wiltjer Scores 45 vs. Pacific: Analysis, Comments and Twitter Reaction

The No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs (27-1, 15-0 WCC) were pushed a little harder than expected against the Pacific Tigers (10-17, 2-13 WCC) Thursday night, but they eventually pulled out an 86-74 victory.

Junior forward Kyle Wiltjer spearheaded the Bulldogs' winning effort, scoring 45 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including 7-of-10 from behind the arc.

Rob Dauster of College Basketball Talk noted that Wiltjer single-handedly outscored the Oregon State Beavers on Thursday and nearly did the same to the ninth-ranked Utah Utes, who prevailed 47-37:

The last Gonzaga player to score 40-plus points in a game was Adam Morrison, nearly a decade ago, and Wiltjer's 45 points are the third-highest single-game total in school history:

Although Gonzaga held only an eight-point lead, 45-37, on the Tigers at halftime, it was through no fault of Wiltjer, who was well on pace to smash his previous single-game high for points, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Perhaps Wiltjer was motivated by USA Today's most recent list of the top 10 college basketball players in the country. He rose only one spot from last week's edition, moving into fifth. His stock is only going to rise after Thursday.

Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, believes that transferring to Gonzaga from Kentucky couldn't have worked out any better for Wiltjer:

The Zags will look to remain unbeaten in the conference to close out the regular season. They play the Saint Mary's Gaels on the road and finish at home against the San Diego Toreros and BYU Cougars.

Wiltjer, meanwhile, will hope to strengthen his Wooden Award campaign. He's arguably only an outside favorite at the moment, but that could change if he puts together three more performances like Thursday's.