Gonzaga Keeps Rolling: Three Takeaways from the Zags' 84-60 Win Over Pepperdine
Gonzaga continues to flex its muscle in West Coast Conference play, cruising past Pepperdine 84-60 at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The win was convincing, the rotations were experimental, and the streaks just keep piling up. Let’s break down three key takeaways from another dominant night in Spokane.
1. Tyon Grant-Foster Is Starting to Settle In
Tyon Grant-Foster’s WCC campaign is starting to take shape, and it’s trending in the right direction.
The 6-foot-7 senior forward has been stringing together efficient performances, and Wednesday night was another step forward. He dropped 12 points on the Waves, and while it wasn’t his most explosive outing, it was a clear sign that he’s finding his rhythm in conference play. After a quiet start, Grant-Foster caught fire in the first half, scoring eight straight points during a stretch that helped Gonzaga stretch its lead to 18.
What’s changed? Efficiency.
Grant-Foster is shooting nearly 59% from the field in WCC play and has been lights-out from beyond the arc-hitting 6 of 9 from deep. Compare that to his nonconference numbers, where he shot just 45.1% overall and a chilly 17.9% from three, and it’s clear he’s starting to feel more comfortable in this system and against familiar opponents.
He’s not just putting up numbers-he’s doing it within the flow of the offense. That’s a good sign for a Gonzaga team that’s still figuring out its rotations as the season progresses.
2. Gonzaga Goes Deep in the Rotation Without Graham Ike
With starting forward Graham Ike sidelined for the second straight game due to a right ankle injury, Mark Few and his staff kept the lineup fluid-and it paid off.
Jalen Warley got the start in Ike’s place, but foul trouble limited him to just 21 minutes. That opened the door for some unlikely contributors, and none took better advantage than walk-on forward Noah Haaland. The sophomore logged double-digit minutes for the first time in his Gonzaga career and made the most of it-scoring 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting night while grabbing four boards in 11 minutes.
That’s a feel-good moment, but it also speaks to the depth of this roster. Nine Zags saw at least 16 minutes on the floor, with freshman guard Davis Fogle leading the way at 25. Even Parker Jefferson, a freshman forward expected to redshirt, suited up and went through warmups-though he didn’t see game action.
This kind of flexibility in January could pay major dividends in March. With Ike out, Gonzaga didn’t just survive-they experimented, adapted, and still dominated.
3. Streaks, Milestones, and a Bit of History
This wasn’t just another win-it was another notch in a long list of streaks and milestones for the Bulldogs.
First, the headliner: Gonzaga has now won 51 straight games over Pepperdine. That’s the second-longest streak in Division I history, trailing only UCLA’s 52-game run over Cal from 1961 to 1985.
And with Gonzaga set to leave the WCC for the new-look Pac-12 next season, this may have been the final chapter in a long, lopsided rivalry. The Waves haven’t beaten the Zags since January 2002, and Mark Few now owns a staggering 55-2 record against them.
Beyond the rivalry, this win also marked Gonzaga’s 29th consecutive 20-win season, the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Kansas (37). To put that in perspective: before this run began, the program had just eight 20-win seasons in nearly a century of basketball.
And of course, no Zags win would be complete without a “kill shot”-their signature double-digit scoring burst that buries opponents. They delivered another one in the first half, rattling off a 10-0 run that helped put the game out of reach early. That’s their 30th kill shot of the season, the most in the country.
Bottom Line: Gonzaga continues to look like a team that’s not just winning, but evolving. With Grant-Foster heating up, bench players stepping up, and the program’s legacy still growing, the Zags aren’t just playing to stay atop the WCC-they’re sharpening their edge for what’s coming next.