3 keys to victory for Gonzaga vs. Washington State at The Kennel

Will the Zags lean heavily on Graham Ike again as they chase a season sweep of WSU?

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (right). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are back home at the McCarthey Athletic Center, hosting Inland Northwest rival Washington State on Tuesday evening.

The Zags (23-2, 11-1) rattled off 15 straight before getting shocked by the Portland Pilots last Wednesday, 87-80, in a game Gonzaga only led for a total of 32 seconds.

Few's team responded with a 20-point win in Corvallis on Saturday against Oregon State, and now has a chance to sweep the Washington State Cougars for the second straight year after beating this team in Pullman, 86-65, on Jan. 15.

Gonzaga will once again rely heavily on star Graham Ike in the absence of Braden Huff, but Ike's workload is becoming a concern. The 6'9 big man - who is dealing with lingering ankle soreness after missing three games last month - has played 35+ minutes in each of the past four games, including all but a few seconds on Saturday in Corvallis.

Ike will be on the floor a lot Tuesday night, but could get an extended breather if the Zags are able to break this thing open and coast to a victory - something they haven't done much of this calendar year.

In order to make that a reality, Gonzaga must do the following three things at The Kennel on Tuesday:

1. Defend the perimeter

Washington State has had plenty of struggles this season, but shooting from beyond the arc has not been one of them. The Cougars are shooting a whopping 37.3% from three this year, the 30th-best mark in college basketball.

Coach Riley's team makes about 9.6 threes per game on average, and were even better in the first matchup against Gonzaga - drilling 13 threes on 28 attempts for an excellent 46.4% clip.

Washington State Cougars guard Ace Glass (21). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Even more concerning for Gonzaga is that WSU was able to do that without 6'7 forward Ri Vavers - the best pure shooter on Washington State's roster. Vavers is shooting 41.3% on 6.0 attempts per game and has been scorching hot since returning from an injury. Over his last six games, the Latvian is a blistering 20-40 from beyond the arc, and his ability to space the floor will stretch an already poor Gonzaga perimeter defense even thinner.

The Zags have allowed three of their last four opponents to shoot over 43% from three: San Francisco went 14-28 (50%) in a near win at The Kennel back on Jan. 24, Portland went 7-16 (43.8%) in their upset win on Wednesday, and Oregon State shot a blistering 10-18 (55.6%) in Corvallis on Saturday.

Vavers, alongside Ace Glass (38.8%), Eemeli Yalaho (43.3%) and Simon Hildebrandt (36.9%) will force Gonzaga's perimeter defenders - namely Emmanuel Innocenti, Tyon Grant-Foster, Adam Miller, and the point guards - to stay with their marks, which could open up more driving lanes for the Cougars.

2. Score points off turnovers (ideally in transition)

Washington State can really light it up, but its offense has been bogged down all season long by turnovers. The Cougars average 13.1 turnovers per game - 306th in CBB - and their 18.4% turnover rate ranks 274th, according to KenPom.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga is elite at forcing turnovers, with a 20.4% mark that ranks 22nd, and that played out back in January when WSU had 17 turnovers against the Zags.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley (8). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Gonzaga has forced 14 or more turnovers in three of their last five games and should be able to do so multiple times on Tuesday night in Spokane. If the Zags can turn those turnovers into points - especially easy buckets in transition - it will keep the crowd invested in the game and could lead to a much-needed blowout win for coach Few's club.

3. Get 3PT shooters involved

Gonzaga is going to bury the ball down low to Graham Ike in this game - just like they did on Saturday at Oregon State - but they'll need help from the perimeter players to ensure a win over this WSU club.

Last time out, Adam Miller had a strong game, with 13 points and five rebounds, but over his six subsequent games, the 6'3 graduate student has really struggled - averaging just 4.3 points in 16.7 minutes while shooting 2-22 (9.1%) from three.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Adam Miller (23). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Meanwhile, Gonzaga's other perimeter scorer - Steele Venters - hasn't been any better, averaging 2.3 points in just 11.5 minutes over that same stretch, while shooting 4-15 (26.7%) from beyond the arc.

Gonzaga doesn't rely heavily on the outside shot, but the Zags need to prove they can knock them down or else teams will pack the paint and force Ike to get rid of the ball - a strategy that was very successful for the Pilots last week.

A showing similar to last time in Pullman - when the Zags shot 6-16 (38%) - would likely be enough to keep WSU's defense honest and lead to a win for Gonzaga at home.

Tip is slated for 8:00 PM PT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.