Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs returned to the top of the West Coast Conference standings with a hard-fought 94-86 victory over the Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday night at the Leavey Center. The game featured standout performances from Adam Miller and Emmanuel Innocenti, both of whom achieved career highs for Gonzaga. Miller scored 21 points, while Innocenti added 16. In addition, Graham Ike showcased his skills with 17 points in the first half, engaging with an enthusiastic Santa Clara student section.
Santa Clara started strong, racing to a 17-9 lead within the first eight minutes, capitalizing on 14 points in the paint and dominating the boards. However, Gonzaga managed to regain the lead with less than six minutes left in the first half and went into halftime with a five-point advantage. The Broncos quickly erased that lead after halftime, hitting three of their first four three-point attempts.
The second half became a back-and-forth battle, but Gonzaga ultimately secured the win, primarily thanks to Miller”s late-game surge. Although he only had five points through the first 33 minutes, Miller exploded for 16 points in the final 6:52, hitting a pivotal three-pointer, converting 7 of 8 free throws, and finishing with a one-handed dunk and an alley-oop assist to Tyon Grant-Foster.
With this win, Gonzaga improved to 25-2 overall and 13-1 in conference play, placing them one game ahead of Santa Clara and 1.5 games in front of Saint Mary”s. The Zags also hold a crucial tiebreaker against the Broncos.
Key Performers Shine
In their previous encounter on January 8, Ike had a remarkable performance, scoring 34 points with 11 rebounds. With his teammate Braden Huff sidelined, Ike stepped up and delivered again. He recorded 17 points along with nine rebounds and two assists in the first half alone. Shooting 8 for 12 from the field, Ike showcased his defensive prowess with a blocked shot and even celebrated with the crowd after hitting a three-pointer to tie the game.
Despite facing foul trouble in the second half, Ike still managed to finish with 21 points and 15 rebounds, marking his seventh consecutive game with over 20 points. When Ike is fully engaged, he is a formidable force in college basketball.
Innocenti also had an outstanding game, surpassing his previous performance against Santa Clara in January when he scored 13 points. On Saturday, he delivered a season-high 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting, along with five offensive rebounds and two assists. His defensive skills were crucial, especially a key steal with under 90 seconds left that prevented Santa Clara from closing the gap.
Offensive Struggles Persist
Gonzaga”s offense has struggled with three-point shooting since Huff”s injury, and that trend continued in this game as they shot just 3 for 18 from beyond the arc. The performance included 0 for 4 from Saint-Supery, 0 for 3 from Innocenti, and 0 for 2 from Grant-Foster. Coming into the game, Gonzaga had been shooting 34.9% from three-point range for the season but had dropped to 29.6% over their last eight games.
Additionally, free throw shooting was a concern as they went 19 for 29 from the line. Ike, a typically reliable 79% shooter, went 0 for 3, while Grant-Foster had a mixed outing at the line, finishing 6 for 11. The only player to excel from both the three-point line and the free throw line was Miller, who shot 2 for 4 from three-point range and 7 for 8 from the charity stripe.
To succeed in March, Gonzaga will need to improve its perimeter shooting and free throw consistency, both of which are vital for close games. Their next challenge awaits as they travel to the Bay Area to face the San Francisco Dons at the Chase Center on February 18, with the game set to tip off at 8:00 PM PT on ESPN2.
