Gonzaga's defense stymies Creighton in dominant victory

Gonzaga is 3-0 after another excellent defensive performance on Tuesday

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Erik Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs don't get many ranked visitors to the McCarthey Athletic Center, and Tuesday night might have proven why.

Gonzaga (3-0) blasted the No. 23-ranked Creighton Bluejays, 90-63, behind an outstanding performance from Graham Ike and arguably the best defensive half in program history.

Gonzaga got contributions all over the floor, with four players finishing in double figures: Ike, Braden Huff, Mario Saint-Supery, and Adam Miller, while 11 total Zags got into the scoring column.

The Zags are 3-0 heading into their first road game of the season, set for Friday, Nov. 14 at 8:00 PM in Tempe against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Here is a look at our three takeaways from Gonzaga's demonstrative win over Creighton on Tuesday:

1. Graham Ike is unstoppable

Graham Ike got Gonzaga going in this game, drilling three consecutive three pointers in the opening minutes, even hitting the crowd with a Michael Jordan shrug on what ended up being his 2,000th career point scored.

Ike did more than just hit threes in this game, ultimately finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and one blocked shot while shooting a ridiculous 8-10 from the field and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. He had a huge role in Gonzaga finishing the game with a dominant 48-20 advantage in points in the paint.

Ike has now posted a double-double in Gonzaga's first three games, and looks like a near-lock to earn All-American honors in his final collegiate season.

2. Gonzaga's defense locked down in second half

Gonzaga might have played their best defensive half ever on Tuesday night.

After holding Creighton to 38 points on 45.8% shooting in the first half, Gonzaga came out of the halftime locker room and made the Bluejays look like a high school team. Creighton began the half 2-15 from the field and 1-8 from three, with more turnovers (9) than points (7) at the under-8 media timeout. It was a team effort, with Jalen Warley, Braeden Smith, and Mario Saint-Supery all recording multiple steals in the half alone.

Gonzaga has had some great defensive teams in the past, but to completely stymie a top 25 offense (per KenPom) like this, just three games into the season with a roster that only features three returning rotation players, is an incredibly promising sign of things to come.

3. Dominance on the glass

Gonzaga once again dominated on the boards, ultimately out-rebounding the Bluejays 41-33. That included 11 offensive rebounds, compared to just nine for Creighton - many of which came in the final minutes when the game was well out of hand.

Warley was once again a major factor in that category, totaling nine boards - four on the offensive side. Twice in the second half did he get an offensive rebound and kick it out to Mario Saint-Supery, the first which lead to a three pointer and the second to a dribble drive and an easy lay-in.

Gonzaga's lineup of Ike and Huff is among the tallest in college basketball, but it's players like Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster (four rebounds) and Emmanuel Innocenti (five rebounds) who make them perhaps the best rebounding team in the country.