It was the perfect bounce-back game for a Gonzaga squad looking to get things back on track
It looks like the Zags made the most of their time off. Whatever you call it—juice, mojo, effort, hustle—based on their 105-62 victory over Portland last night, the Bulldogs seem to have rediscovered some of what they’ve been missing in recent weeks. And it was an absolute blast to watch.
A Fresh Look
In some ways, the Zags looked like a whole new team last night. They dispatched the Pilots with a renewed sense of urgency and effort that’s been missing since before the holiday break. Guys were cutting, rotating, communicating, and playing with a level of intensity that had been missing for far too long. Defensively, especially, the Zags stepped up, holding Portland to just 34.5% shooting (29% from three) while forcing 15 turnovers and turning those into 26 points. Credit to Mark Few for his willingness to experiment with player combinations and completely redistributing minutes this late in the season, a time when something so clearly needed to change.
The Lineup Shakeup
The big story of last night is that for the first time this season, Braden Huff started at center over Graham Ike, and Emmanuel Innocenti took over Khalif Battle’s spot on the wing.
Ike’s costly late-game outbursts against Oregon State and Santa Clara likely led to the shift and it’s impossible to predict if the change is a one-off or something we should expect to see more of this season. Few said about Ike after the game, “He’s as good a person as we’ve had in our program… he just has to manage his emotions better.” Either way, B-Huff (12 points in 19 minutes) was ruthlessly efficient in Ike’s absence and his quickness in the low-post offers the Zags a totally different look with Ike on the bench. Thankfully, there are no bad low-post options for Gonzaga this year.s
Innocenti’s promotion to the starting lineup seems like a much more straightforward move. After giving up over 200 points in two games, it’s clear why the Bulldogs would want to give more minutes to their best on-ball defender. The Tarleton State transfer looked confident and comfortable in his first start, and his ability to lock down his man on the perimeter allowed his teammates to focus on their own assignments without worrying about rotating, switching, or collapsing in help defense. The Zags’ defense was noticeably smoother with Innocenti on the floor, and in addition to his stopping power, he showed off a smooth jump shot and impressive court vision, finishing with 8 points and 5 assists in a season-high 23 minutes. Whether he starts again or not, expect to see a lot more of him in the coming months.
Mr. Zag’s Perfect Game
Maybe all of Gonzaga’s games should just be played in Portland from now on. Clackamas native Ben Gregg was back in his old stomping grounds last night and completely on fire. He played a perfect game, going 10-for-10 from the field (4-for-4 from 3) to lead the Zags with 24 points (matching a career high). He also grabbed 6 boards, gave up 0 turnovers, and committed no fouls—all in just 20 minutes. There’s been a lot of speculation lately as to who should be The Guy for the Zags in crunch time, and Gregg made a compelling case for himself last night.
Ajayi Takes Off
After averaging fewer than 5 points per game in his last 10 outings, Michael Ajayi dropped 20 points on 7-10 shooting against Portland. He looked every bit the WCC’s reigning scoring leader, and his assertiveness was rewarded with a season-high and a collective sigh of relief from fans concerned about his recent offensive struggles. In addition to his big scoring night, Ajayi led the team in rebounds (8), and, like Gregg, he did it all in just 20 minutes.
Big Mike has had some solid games this season (15 points against LMU, 14 against UConn), but this performance felt different. He just looked locked in. He was pure hustle, energy, and physicality down the stretch, and the Pilots had no answer for his athleticism or tenacity. Of his 20 points, 16 came in the second half, and most of them were highly contested shots at the rim, shots he made decisively and through a lot of contact. Last night showed exactly what he can do when he’s determined to impose his will on opponents. “Everyone wants to get a W,” he said after the game, “whatever it takes, we’ll sacrifice.”
Other Praiseworthy Stuff
- Ryan Nembhard: 13 assists in a season-low 23 minutes. He couldn’t be stopped despite scoring only 2 points.
- Nolan Hickman: 13 points, 3-4 from three. He’s now 17-30 from outside in the last 4 games—ridiculous numbers from Gonzaga’s veteran guard.
- Joe Few: Laid a filthy crossover on Portland’s Mezziah Oakman and then hit a silky jumper from the elbow. The shot was great, but the bench’s reaction to his first points of the season was a real highlight.
- Ismaila Diagne: Earned a mysterious late-game technical foul. Perhaps it was a boneheaded move we couldn’t see on the broadcast, or maybe it was done out of big-man solidarity with Graham Ike. We’ll probably never know. Either way, it was good to see Diagne suit up again and knock down a couple of free throws in garbage time.
Final Thoughts
The Zags looked rejuvenated last night, playing with a purpose and intensity that was missing last week. The redistribution of playing time seems to have injected some fresh energy, and the gamble paid off. The defense was tighter, the ball movement crisper, and the overall intensity was much higher than we’ve seen recently, even though it meant fewer minutes from some of its most reliable scorers. While it’s just one game–against the 2-7 Pilots, no less–last night’s performance shows the potential for the Zags to hit their stride when it matters most. It was the perfect bounce-back game for Gonzaga and hopefully the lessons learned will carry over into their upcoming matchups with Oregon State and Saint Mary’s.