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# Graham Ike Returns With 30 Points, Gonzaga Beats Saint Mary's at Home For First Time Since 2023
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/graham-ike-returns-gonzaga-bulldogs-beats-saint-marys-home-for-first-time-since-2023/
- Published: 2026-02-01T08:09:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:53:57.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Game Day, Analysis, Graham Ike, Mark Few, Emmanuel Innocenti, Jalen Warley, Mario Saint-Supéry, Gonzaga Men's Basketball

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="7037"\]

![  Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) dunks the ball against the Saint Mary's Gaels in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_28133112-format-original.jpg)

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) dunks the ball against the Saint Mary's Gaels in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images \[/caption\]

SPOKANE, Wash. – Protecting your home court is imperative for all college basketball programs. Entering Saturday’s game against Saint Mary’s (19-4, 8-2), No. 6 Gonzaga (22-1, 11-0) had won 25 of its 29 games at the McCarthey Athletic Center over the last three seasons.

Two of those losses came at the hands of the Gaels, however, resulting in one of the longest tenured Zags, Graham Ike, not yet beating GU’s biggest rivals inside the Kennel.

After missing the last three games with right ankle soreness, Ike made his return to the floor for the most anticipated matchup annually for the Bulldogs. He dropped 30 points in 36 minutes, his second-highest scoring total of the season, in a 73-65 Bulldogs win that was significant for the final-year forward and so many others.

“We know how much this means to the university, to us, and to everyone here in Spokane,” Ike said. “I had never beaten these guys on our home floor before this and that’s something I wanted to do in my last year and I’m glad we got it done.”

The 6-9 graduate student was aggressive out of the gate, hitting a jumper inside before drilling a three from the top of the key as the trail man, one of three attempts from beyond the arc Ike connected on. He shot 11-for-20 from the field, with a rough 0-for-5 dry spell where his mid-range shot wasn’t falling being his only mode of ineffectiveness on the evening. His performance was even more impressive when factoring in his competition, 7-1 Harry Wessels and 7-3 Andrew McKeever.

“It’s just amazing…against that frontline,” head coach Mark Few said. “That frontline is huge and physical and hard to generate easy points against, and to find his way into 30 is just incredible. 

“Just another heroic performance. I know I don’t take him for granted."

But even with Ike putting everyone on notice that he was back, the Gaels battled to stay in the game, even if it was with some help from GU, who turned the ball over nine times in the first half. It was particularly a problem for Gonzaga’s point guards, Braeden Smith and Mario Saint-Supéry, who combined for five of those. Whether it was over ambitious passes that were off-target or out-of-control dribbling, there were more self-inflicted wounds than usual for the Zags.

“Most of ‘em of just a crazy variety, just bizarre,” Few said on the first-half turnovers.

The final sequence of the opening period encapsulated what plagued the Zags early, which included excessive fouling and exceptional Saint Mary’s free-throw shooting. With less than a minute to go, center Ismaila Diagne fouled Gaels guard Joshua Dent on a three-point attempt. After Dent drained all of his free throws, Saint-Supéry had an errant entry pass to Ike that was stolen on the would-be final possession of the half. In a scramble to get a shot off, a loose ball resulted in Davis Fogle running into Liam Campbell, meaning more SMC free throws after being placed in the bonus and giving the Gaels a four-point lead at the break.

Needing a spark to gain some momentum, it was defensive-minded guard Emmanuel Innocenti who provided some juice offensively. After a scoreless first half for the 6-5 Ivorian, he scored 10 of GU’s first 12 points out of the intermission, including connecting on two corner threes, the first shots from downtown Gonzaga had made since Ike’s in the opening minutes. 

The Bulldogs’ recent lack of efficiency from deep has gone under the radar due to winning in other ways, but those looks are surely a welcome sight from Innocenti, especially when he is simultaneously taking out the other team’s primary ball-handler or top scorer defensively.

“It was really impressive cause he’s knocking down threes then picking up full court,” said guard Jalen Warley, who had 10 points and seven rebounds. “I think he did a great job of being shot ready when the moment came and I think it really got our crowd into it as well and we kind of just, took off and never really looked back.”

Innocenti certainly set the tone for the half, as the Zags only had one turnover in the final 20 minutes. As was the case for the entire contest, Saint Mary’s struggled to score consistently in the half court when it wasn’t drawing fouls, finishing the game shooting just 34% while also getting beat on the boards. 

A couple of threes from Saint-Supéry and Ike down the stretch sealed the deal, with the latter finding the bottom of the net after being left open on the wing. The time Ike missed over the last two weeks wasn’t significant, but it still caused him to better cherish these moments with his teammates, especially after a big win he desperately wanted.

“It’s just great to be back with the guys, man. Found a newfound love for this game and this team, just from being out,” Ike shared. “It’s a true blessing to play this game, can’t take it for granted.”