Keshawn Williams scored a team-high 25 points with eight rebounds, Anthony Crump added a career-high 20 and eight rebounds while All-American Drew Timme paced the Bulldogs with 26 points.
"In the first half, we were able to use our quickness, guys made some timely shots, and we defended the ball well," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "In the second half, they are a bigger team, at home, they had a couple 8-0 runs that we weren't able to come back from. The first four minutes, we didn't get off to a good start in the second half, the lead went from six to 12. Gonzaga had the momentum; the crowd and they are a really good team."
With the Bulldogs in front by seven early the second half, Gonzaga used a 5-0 burst to push its advantage to a dozen, 46-34, and force a Huskie timeout with 17:39 to play.
The Gonzaga lead ballooned to 14 until a corner triple from Williams and an old-fashioned three-point play from Crump trimmed the Bulldogs lead to 50-42 with 15:44 left. Gonzaga went back up a dozen, 58-46 before Crump converted another three-point play to bring the Huskies back within nine with just under 12 minutes remaining.
A 13-1 burst gave the Bulldogs a 71-50 advantage with a little under nine minutes left to play, putting the game out of reach.
Three players scored in double figures from off the bench for Gonzaga, led by Ben Gregg's 18 points. Malachi Smith added 14 and Hunter Sallis chipped in 10 points for the Bulldogs, who won their 71st consecutive home game, the longest home win streak in the nation over the last 35-plus years.