Graham Ike scores 22 points, No. 15 Gonzaga rebounds with 100-76 win over Jackson State
AP
Dec 21, 2023
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) Graham Ike scored 22 points in 17 minutes, Braden Huff added 17 points off the bench, and No. 15 Gonzaga Bulldogs ran away in the second half for a 100-76 win over Jackson State Tigers on Wednesday night.
The Zags (9-3) rebounded from their loss to No. 5 UConn last Friday and picked up a resounding victory in their last game before Christmas.
“We put a lot into that UConn game. I was really happy with our guys’ effort,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “I'm telling you, I think Jackson State will win their league. They’ve got some guys who are older. They’ve got a great plan. … They had our full attention.”
Ike and Huff were part of a dominant effort on the interior. Gonzaga scored 50 points in the paint and shot 52% as a team.
Nolan Hickman scored 18 points and Ryan Nembhard added 11 points and six assists. Anton Watson finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, and moved into second place on the school’s all-time steals list, trailing only John Stockton.
“I just pride myself a lot on defense so I’m proud of that. That’s not a record I was trying to chase. It was just something that happens with how I play,” Watson said.
The Bulldogs led 41-29 at halftime and started the second half on a 10-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Dusty Stromer. The Zags led by as many as 37 in the second half and improved to 19-0 all-time against current SWAC opponents.
Ike made 6 of 8 shots and was 10 of 14 at the foul line. The Zags made a season-high 27 free throws.
“We just stayed confident in the work that we do and in the preparation, and we come out and do things like this tonight,” Ike said.
Ken Evans Jr. led Jackson State (4-8) with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Chase Adams added 14 and Coltie Young had 13 points. The Tigers have yet to play a game at home this season and the matchup with the Zags added to a brutal non-conference schedule that included a win at Missouri and losses to Memphis, Georgetown and Houston.
Jordan O’Neal, the second-leading scorer for the Tigers, finished with seven points on 1 of 8 shooting and fouled out with 13:50 left after picking up a personal foul and technical foul on the same play. O’Neal was averaging 11.9 points and shooting 69% coming into the game.
BIG PICTURE
Jackson State: The Tigers will have played 13 games away from home before their first home game on Jan. 6 against Alcorn State.
Gonzaga: The Zags still aren’t shooting great from the perimeter. Gonzaga was 5 of 18 on 3-pointers after making 2 of 12 in the loss to UConn.
UP NEXT
Jackson State: The Tigers play their final non-conference game on Dec. 29 at Northwestern.
Gonzaga: The Zags host San Diego State on Dec. 29.
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1st Half
JAST
Tigers
29
GONZ
Bulldogs
41
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Jordan O'Neal vs. Graham Ike (Ryan Nembhard gains possession)
19:41
Graham Ike misses two point jump shot
19:39
Ken Evans Jr. defensive rebound
19:33
Jordan O'Neal misses two point jump shot
19:31
Anton Watson defensive rebound
19:21
+3
Nolan Hickman makes three point jump shot (Anton Watson assists)
0-3
18:54
Zeke Cook misses two point layup
18:52
Graham Ike defensive rebound
18:45
Jordan O'Neal shooting foul (Graham Ike draws the foul)
18:45
Graham Ike misses regular free throw 1 of 2
18:45
+1
Graham Ike makes regular free throw 2 of 2
0-4
18:32
+2
Chase Adams makes two point jump shot (Jordan O'Neal assists)
2-4
18:07
Ryan Nembhard misses two point jump shot
18:05
Ken Evans Jr. defensive rebound
18:01
+3
Chase Adams makes three point jump shot
5-4
17:48
+2
Graham Ike makes two point hook shot
5-6
17:30
Chase Adams misses two point jump shot
17:28
Graham Ike defensive rebound
17:23
+2
Nolan Hickman makes two point jump shot
5-8
16:57
Zeke Cook misses two point jump shot
16:55
Tigers offensive rebound
16:52
Dusty Stromer blocks Ken Evans Jr.'s two point jump shot
16:50
Ken Evans Jr. offensive rebound
16:47
Chase Adams misses three point jump shot
16:45
Dusty Stromer defensive rebound
16:44
Chase Adams personal foul (Dusty Stromer draws the foul)
16:38
Nolan Hickman misses two point layup
16:36
Coltie Young defensive rebound
16:32
Coltie Young misses three point jump shot
16:30
Ryan Nembhard defensive rebound
16:23
Nolan Hickman misses three point jump shot
16:21
Coltie Young defensive rebound
15:56
Ken Evans Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Dusty Stromer steals)
15:52
Anton Watson turnover (bad pass)
15:52
TV timeout
15:29
+2
Chase Adams makes two point jump shot (Ken Evans Jr. assists)
7-8
15:18
+2
Graham Ike makes two point layup (Anton Watson assists)
7-10
14:48
Jordan O'Neal misses two point layup
14:46
Graham Ike defensive rebound
14:36
+3
Dusty Stromer makes three point jump shot (Anton Watson assists)
7-13
14:06
Ken Evans Jr. misses two point jump shot
14:04
Anton Watson defensive rebound
13:59
Dusty Stromer misses two point layup
13:57
Ken Evans Jr. defensive rebound
13:47
Tigers 30 second timeout
13:37
Jayme Mitchell misses three point jump shot
13:35
Keijuan Johnson offensive rebound
13:32
Keijuan Johnson misses two point layup
13:30
Anton Watson defensive rebound
13:26
Treyon Johnson shooting foul (Anton Watson draws the foul)
13:26
+1
Anton Watson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
7-14
13:26
Anton Watson misses regular free throw 2 of 2
13:26
Treyon Johnson defensive rebound
13:12
Coltie Young misses three point jump shot
13:10
Dusty Stromer defensive rebound
12:55
+2
Nolan Hickman makes two point jump shot
7-16
12:27
Keijuan Johnson misses three point jump shot
12:25
Braden Huff defensive rebound
12:10
+3
Anton Watson makes three point jump shot (Ryan Nembhard assists)
7-19
11:44
+2
Treyon Johnson makes two point dunk (Keijuan Johnson assists)
9-19
11:30
Jayme Mitchell shooting foul (Braden Huff draws the foul)
11:30
TV timeout
11:30
+1
Braden Huff makes regular free throw 1 of 2
9-20
11:30
+1
Braden Huff makes regular free throw 2 of 2
9-21
11:01
+3
Coltie Young makes three point jump shot (Keiveon Hunt assists)
12-21
10:48
Dusty Stromer misses two point jump shot
10:46
Jayme Mitchell defensive rebound
10:39
Dusty Stromer shooting foul (Jayme Mitchell draws the foul)
10:39
+1
Jayme Mitchell makes regular free throw 1 of 2
13-21
10:39
Jayme Mitchell misses regular free throw 2 of 2
10:39
Ben Gregg defensive rebound
10:25
+2
Braden Huff makes two point hook shot
13-23
9:59
Keijuan Johnson misses two point jump shot
9:57
Ben Gregg defensive rebound
9:53
+2
Braden Huff makes two point dunk (Ryan Nembhard assists)
13-25
9:53
Treyon Johnson shooting foul (Braden Huff draws the foul)