No. 12 Gonzaga Thrashes Washington State 83-53, Sets Up Crucial Santa Clara Matchup
SPOKANE, Wash. – A day after sliding six spots in the AP Poll, No. 12 Gonzaga (22-2, 12-1) played its best basketball in what felt like ages, dominating Washington State (11-16, 6-8) at the McCarthey Athletic Center Tuesday night by a score of 83-53. It was as well-rounded a game as GU has put together in several weeks, evidenced by its largest margin of victory since January 21 versus Pepperdine, and the team’s third-biggest win in conference play.
The Bulldogs have a big-time game on the horizon, heading down to Santa Clara to take on the Broncos with a chance to reclaim sole possession of first place in the WCC this Saturday, and after a brutal road loss last week to Portland, the Zags notched a large win on their home floor before the biggest game of the season.
If Gonzaga beats an opponent in blowout fashion, it usually comes with hounding them defensively, and that was no different against the Cougs, who shot 39% from the field, 21% from downtown, and had 21 turnovers. It was WSU’s lowest point total of the season, which is even more impressive considering it is coming off a 92-point performance against Santa Clara in its previous game. Following unorthodox defensive showings over the last few games, tonight’s results on that end were a welcome sight for head coach Mark Few.
“Tonight was about our defense. It was active. It was forceful. It was stifling at times. It was great just to see our guys flying around…” he said. “Guys did a great job of hitting their coverages but then also staying aggressive enough to make plays.”
Often going unappreciated, the center of the Bulldogs’ defensive ability starts with 6-5 forward Emmanuel Innocenti, whose versatility as the point-of-attack defender allows for GU to play a variety of styles defensively. He can switch and guard multiple positions, routinely goes over ball screens, and always has a hand in the face of a shooter. Innocenti had three steals and four rebounds in the game, not to mention his nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, impacting the game in all areas.
“Can’t go unnoticed just how incredible Emmanuel is at pressuring the ball. Every night we just ask him to get up, usually on their best player or their best initiator on offense, and he’s just relentless…” Few said unprompted. “Just makes our coverages so much easier…As a coach, it just gives you so much versatility, it’s so valuable.”
After playing 39 minutes on Saturday, Graham Ike logged his lowest minute total of the calendar year due to the contributions Gonzaga got from several other players in the contest. Aside from Ike’s 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds, three additional Bulldogs finished with double figures in scoring, with Davis Fogle, Adam Miller, and Mario Saint-Supéry combining for 39 points.
Gonzaga was noticeably playing faster offensively, but the pace really picked up when the second unit came in for the first time. An entirely new lineup, including Fogle and Saint-Supéry, entered midway through the first half and went on an 8-0 run, forcing five turnovers in over a four-minute stretch.
Moving without the ball seems even more imperative with the absence of Braden Huff, as more attention will be directed at Ike, and the Bulldogs did a phenomenal job at that, particularly in the first half. Finding holes and lanes to score, aside from staying stagnant for a potential shot on the perimeter, puts more pressure on the defense and can create higher-percentage looks.
“We did a nice job with our cuts, especially early. I thought they were forceful and very timely,” Few shared.
Fogle embodies the slashing playstyle to a tee, as he scored 17 points without hitting a three-pointer. The 6-7 guard also blocked three shots and grabbed three steals. His best sequence was denying a three-point shot, akin to his teammate Tyon Grant-Foster, and then throwing down a dunk off the turnover. The true freshman says he feels he is getting more comfortable on both ends and buying in on the things that don’t show up in the box score have been key for him.
“On the defensive end, the game has slowed down a lot. Obviously, still working on it every day in practice and taking all the advice I can from the coaches,” Fogle explained. “But I think I’ve grown a lot on that end and just trying to do all the little things: offensive rebounds, putbacks, cutting has been huge.”
Shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, Saint-Supéry had several highlight plays, including driving through the lane for a layup off-the-dribble, hitting a fallaway mid-range jumper before the halftime buzzer, and draining a deep three from the left wing.
Miller’s performance is likely the most pleasing to the Zags, due to the 6-3 guard being on the struggle bus lately on the offensive end. Known for being a sharpshooter, Miller entered Tuesday making just two of his last 22 attempts from three-point range. Although he was only 1-for-4 from deep in the victory against WSU, he showed why he has still kept his spot in the starting lineup amidst his difficulty shooting the ball.
He has the wherewithal to tap into other modes of scoring when his shot isn’t falling, and that reigned true Tuesday, knocking down two floaters in the early going. Then, even while on a cold stretch with his jumpshot, Miller confidently stepped into his lone made three at the top of the key, a deep one right in front of the Bulldogs logo. The ASU transfer also tallied two steals, one of several plays that led to GU’s numerous transition buckets that allowed them to pad their lead, as Miller continues to give effort on the defensive end.
If there was a time to tap into their best basketball as a team, it would be now, as the opportunity to swap spots in the conference with Santa Clara are next up for the Zags on their schedule. They did beat the Broncos by 12 at home a little over a month ago, but SCU was up double digits at one point in that first matchup and has been playing a considerably better brand of hoops since then. The winner of the WCC is by no means a foregone conclusion, and Saturday’s matchup can determine a lot in how the conference shapes up.
