SAN DIEGO, Calif. (AP) – Graham Ike bounced back from early foul trouble to score 20 of his 23 points in the second half, and
Ryan Nembhard added 19 points and 10 assists as No. 3 Gonzaga ran past San Diego State 80-67 on Monday night in a showdown of future Pac-12 opponents.
Sixth man
Braden Huff had 10 points for Gonzaga (4-0), which was playing away from Spokane for the first time this season. The Zags avenged an 84-74 loss to SDSU last year, which snapped their 59-game nonconference winning streak.
Nick Boyd scored 23 points for the Aztecs (2-1), while BJ Davis had 15 and Wayne McKinney 11.
Both teams reached the Sweet 16 last season, the Zags for the ninth straight time.
Takeaways
Bulldogs: Ike was whistled for two fouls in the first 1:15 and was subbed out. He played only 5:32 in the first half before coming on strong after halftime.
Aztecs: Despite beating the Bulldogs in their previous two meetings, including 2017 in San Diego, the Aztecs were outmatched this time. They were coming off a 100-49 win against Occidental after opening with a 63-58 win over UC San Diego.
Key moment
Gonzaga outscored SDSU 8-2 in the opening 1:32 of the second half to push a nine-point halftime lead to 48-33. Ike scored the first five points, on a three-point play and a layup. Michael Ajai added a 3-pointer.
Key stats
Gonzaga made 27 of 31 free throws, with Ike hitting 9 of 11 and Nembhard 8 of 8.
Up Next
The Bulldogs host Long Beach State on Wednesday night. The Aztecs face No. 14 Creighton on Nov. 26 in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.