Gonzaga Looks to Avoid Repeat Drama as Seattle U Prepares for Another “Road” Game at Home
SEATTLE - It’s just a couple miles from Seattle University’s campus to Climate Pledge Arena, but don’t expect a true home-court vibe when the Redhawks host No. 9 Gonzaga on Saturday night. For the second time this season, these West Coast Conference foes will square off - and if the first meeting was any indication, fans should buckle up for another wild one.
Seattle U may be the home team on paper, but in reality, it’ll feel more like neutral ground - or even a Gonzaga-heavy crowd. The Zags have a massive alumni presence in the Puget Sound region, and that usually translates to strong support anytime they play in Seattle.
The Redhawks have already seen this play out twice this season, with visiting fans from Washington and Washington State outnumbering their own at Climate Pledge. Saturday night figures to be more of the same.
But the real battle won’t be in the stands - it’ll be on the hardwood, where Gonzaga is hoping to avoid the kind of scare Seattle U gave them just a few weeks ago. In that first matchup, the Redhawks led for over 35 minutes and built a 13-point cushion before the Zags clawed back to win 80-72 in overtime. It was a gritty, uncomfortable game for Mark Few’s squad, and one they know could’ve easily gone the other way.
That game turned into the Braden Huff show. The junior forward was nearly unstoppable, scoring 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting.
For a 24-minute stretch, Huff, Graham Ike, and Tyon Grant-Foster were the only Zags to put points on the board. Huff’s offensive explosion essentially carried Gonzaga through a sluggish performance - but he won’t be available this time around due to a knee injury.
Even without Huff, the Zags handled business Thursday night against Washington State. But Seattle U presents a different kind of challenge.
They’re deeper, more physical inside, and they’ve already proven they can hang with Gonzaga’s frontcourt. In the first meeting, the Redhawks outscored the Zags in the paint and even won the rebounding battle - a rarity against a team as big and active as Gonzaga.
Seattle U’s interior depth was on display when 7-footer Austin Maurer picked up two early fouls. Instead of folding, the Redhawks turned to 6-foot-10 Houran Dan, who stepped in with 26 solid minutes - eight points, seven boards, and plenty of resistance at the rim.
That kind of frontcourt reinforcement wasn’t something Washington State could offer when their big man, ND Okafor, got into foul trouble. Gonzaga’s Graham Ike took full advantage in that game, finishing with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Ike will once again be a focal point for the Zags on Saturday. He dropped 24 points and 10 rebounds in the last meeting with Seattle U and lived at the free-throw line, hitting 8 of 11.
But there’s a bit of concern after he took a hard fall late in Thursday’s win and limped off the court. He did join Coach Few for the postgame press conference, which is a good sign, but his status will be something to watch heading into the weekend.
The Zags are also dealing with some frontcourt uncertainty beyond Huff’s absence. Sophomore center Ismaila Diagne banged up his knee in practice earlier this week and was listed as questionable before Thursday’s game. He still saw the floor for four minutes, but it’s clear Gonzaga is walking a bit of a tightrope when it comes to big-man depth right now.
Few, as always, is trying to keep things simple for his team during this quick turnaround.
“I think the biggest thing for us on these quick turnarounds is we just need to get home, get rested and give them a short, easy plan and then just let them go out and play,” he said.
Seattle U, meanwhile, is trying to find some consistency. That loss in Spokane kicked off a three-game slide, including a 93-76 defeat at Saint Mary’s and a 68-55 stumble at Oregon State. The Redhawks did bounce back with a win over San Diego on Thursday, and they’ll come into Saturday’s showdown with some momentum.
One name to keep an eye on: Junseok Yeo. The former Gonzaga forward has found his groove lately, scoring 24 points against Saint Mary’s and following it up with 18 more in the win over San Diego. He’s become a spark plug for Seattle’s offense, especially with leading scorer Brayden Maldonado struggling to find his rhythm in WCC play (just 32.5% shooting from the field).
Seattle U has been solid at Climate Pledge this season, going 3-0 with wins over UTEP, Washington, and Washington State. They’re 17-4 all-time in the building, which gives them a bit of confidence heading into this rematch - even if the crowd might not be on their side.
Gonzaga, for its part, returns to the arena with a bit of positive history too. The Zags beat UCLA there last month, finally getting a win at Climate Pledge after three straight losses to Alabama, UConn, and Kentucky in previous visits.
So while this might not be a classic rivalry in terms of geography or history, Saturday’s game has all the ingredients of a must-watch WCC clash: a top-10 team trying to stay hot, an underdog with nothing to lose, and a neutral-site atmosphere that’s anything but neutral.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. local time. Expect fireworks.