Gonzaga Survives Foul Trouble and Late San Diego Surge in High-Scoring WCC Win
SAN DIEGO - On a night when foul trouble threatened to derail No. 7 Gonzaga’s rhythm, the Zags leaned into their depth, their resilience, and a few timely highlight plays to escape with a 99-93 road win over San Diego. It wasn’t always pretty, and it certainly wasn’t stress-free, but it was the kind of gritty, grind-it-out conference victory that good teams find a way to pull out - even when their stars are sidelined.
For much of the early season, Gonzaga’s frontcourt duo of Graham Ike and Braden Huff has been a reliable engine, combining for around 40 points per night and anchoring both ends of the floor. But Tuesday night threw a wrench into that formula.
With just under eight minutes left in the first half, Huff picked up his second foul, forcing head coach Mark Few to dig into his bench earlier than planned. The logical move was to ride Ike - but that plan unraveled quickly.
Ike, locked in a physical battle down low with San Diego’s Vuk Boskovic, was whistled for his second foul shortly after Huff sat. Frustration boiled over when he picked up a technical after slamming a water bottle near the bench, leading to a brief delay as arena staff cleaned up the spill.
Suddenly, Gonzaga was without its two most dependable bigs - but that didn’t mean they were without answers.
Enter Tyon Grant-Foster, Mario Saint-Supery, and Jalen Warley, who stepped up in a big way to keep the Zags in control. Just moments after Ike’s technical, Saint-Supery found Grant-Foster on a slick baseline cut, lofting a perfect lob that Grant-Foster flushed home to restore an 11-point lead just before halftime. It was a tone-setting play that showed Gonzaga wasn’t going to let foul trouble dictate the night.
Warley, in particular, was everywhere. The Florida State transfer delivered his best performance of the season, finishing with a season-high 22 points and 14 rebounds - his first double-double in a Gonzaga uniform.
He also added three steals and played with an energy that helped stabilize the team when things could’ve spiraled. Even after picking up his fourth foul late in the second half, Warley stayed composed and effective.
Grant-Foster continued to show why he’s becoming such a key piece off the bench. After leading the Zags in scoring against Pepperdine, the Grand Canyon transfer poured in 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting, adding five rebounds and bringing his trademark athleticism and effort on both ends. His ability to create offense in transition and finish through contact gave Gonzaga a much-needed spark.
Saint-Supery, who had recently ceded his starting spot to Braeden Smith, also made the most of his minutes off the bench. He knocked down three triples on six attempts, scored 14 points, and dished out five assists in a confident, controlled performance that reminded everyone just how deep this Gonzaga backcourt really is.
And while the bench carried the load early, Ike and Huff weren’t done. Once they returned in the second half, they found their rhythm and helped close things out.
Huff kept his streak of double-digit scoring games alive with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting, along with eight boards. Ike, despite the early foul trouble and technical, was perfect from the field (5-for-5) and finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
His free-throw shooting (1-of-5) left something to be desired, but his physicality in the paint helped re-establish Gonzaga’s inside presence when it mattered.
Still, this one wasn’t without some late drama.
The Zags led by as many as 21 points, but San Diego refused to go quietly. A late 8-0 run cut the lead to eight with just over three minutes left.
Gonzaga responded with a 10-2 burst to push the lead back to 16, but the Toreros had one last run in them. Adrian McIntyre’s layup with 11 seconds left trimmed the deficit to just five, forcing Gonzaga to sweat it out until the final horn.
Defensively, the Zags gave up 93 points - the most they’ve allowed since Michigan dropped 101 on them in a lopsided loss at the Players Era Festival. That’s not the kind of defensive number Mark Few will be thrilled about, especially with conference play ramping up.
San Diego had some standout performances of their own. Ty-Laur Johnson, a Wake Forest transfer, stayed hot with 21 points on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting night - his fourth 20-point game in the last five outings. McIntyre was also impressive, nearly posting a triple-double with 12 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
Now sitting at 14-1 overall and 2-0 in West Coast Conference play, Gonzaga turns the page quickly. They’ll face WCC newcomer Seattle U on Friday - a team that came into Tuesday night’s game against Washington State with an 11-3 record and looking to notch their first conference win.
Tip-off for that matchup is set for 6 p.m. PT, airing on KHQ and ESPN+. If Tuesday’s game was any indication, Gonzaga’s depth is going to be tested early and often in league play - but so far, the Zags are showing they’ve got the pieces to handle the pressure.