The Gonzaga Bulldogs bested the Saint Mary's Gaels 73-65 on Saturday thanks in large part to the play of senior forward Graham Ike, who posted 30 points, four rebounds, and one assist while shooting 11 of 20 from the field and three of five from range.
When all was said and done, Ike spoke about what the win meant to him. He was particularly pleased to beat a St. Mary’s group that the Bulldogs had struggled against in the past.
“It was extremely personal, we know how much this means to the university and also to us, everybody here in Spokane,” Ike told reporters after the game. “We definitely wanted to take care of business. Personally, I had never beat these guys before on our home floor before this and that was definitely something I wanted to do in my last year and I’m glad we could get that done.”
Ike’s latest outing was par for the course. Across 19 games this season, Ike has averaged 18.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. The Aurora native has already made a strong case that he should be considered the nation’s top player this season, and will have more time before conference play concludes.
Gonzaga trailed 38-34 at the end of the first half but rallied to outlast the Gaels in regulation. In addition to the play of Ike, the Bulldogs also received stellar showings from junior forward Emmanuel Innocenti and senior guard Jalen Warley, who combined for 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Gonzaga is now 22-1 on the season and 10-0 in conference play. They will take on the Portland Pilots on Wednesday.
