Gonzaga falls apart late in loss to Oregon State: 3 takeaways

The Bulldogs' 11-game win streak in true road games was snapped by the Beavers

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) shoots a three point shot against Oregon State Beavers guard Nate Kingz (7). | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The Gonzaga Bulldogs came up short to the Oregon State Beavers in a thrilling overtime affair from Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Oregon, Thursday night.

Graham Ike scored a team-high 26 points on 9-of-14 from the field, including a 3-pointer to tie the game with 4 seconds left in regulation; though the Beavers seized momentum down the stretch of overtime to come away with a 97-89 victory.

The Zags (14-5, 5-1 WCC) entered the game with the second-longest active win streak in true road games (11) and a five-game win streak overall. Meanwhile, the Beavers (14-4, 4-2 WCC) picked up their first Quad 1 victory of the season.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

GRAHAM IKE DOMINATES

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) shoots the ball over Oregon State Beavers forward Michael Rataj (12). | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Whether it was against zone defense, man-to-man or some kind of hybrid of both looks, Ike got to his spots on the low blocks early and often against Oregon State.

Outside of a few turnovers in the opening minutes, Gonzaga’s 6-foot-9 forward did most of the heavy lifting for his team on offense. After scoring eight points in the first half, Ike set the tone after halftime room with a nice drop-step on Parsa Fallah, resulting in a 3-point play. Ike got going again later in the half with a bucket in transition off a feed from Ryan Nembhard. 

Ike and Fallah went toe-to-toe numerous times on both ends of the floor. For the most part, Ike held his own against the Beavers’ 6-foot-9, 260-pound junior from Iran. Fallah was walled off from the basket by the Bulldogs’ All-WCC forward on a few occasions and picked up five fouls in 33 minutes of action.

While Ike did most of the legwork to get the Zags out in front, they still found themselves down 81-77 with 38 seconds remaining after Michael Rataj connected on a wild layup along the baseline. Ben Gregg cut into the deficit with a 3-pointer, only for Josiah Lake II to knock down two free throws with 16 seconds remaining.

As Nembhard raced up the floor, he found himself partially stuck upon picking up his dribble. With no other option open, he found Ike open on the wing. Probably not the play Gonzaga drew up in the huddle, but it’s the one that ended up sending the game into overtime.

Ike fouled out in overtime following a questionable whistle while trying to contest a shot in the painted area on defense. His 26 points marked his third 20-point performance in his last four games. 

CAN’T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SECOND CHANCES

Oregon State Beavers guard Josiah Lake II (2) drives to the basket against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard (0). | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Given that Oregon State had dominated its opponents on the glass for most of this season, Gonzaga did a fine job handling the physicality of its opposition from the get-go. The Bulldogs racked up five offensive boards before the first media timeout even hit, though three of them were recorded during the same trip down the floor. Nonetheless, despite the fact the Zags controlled the boards thoroughly Thursday night, they weren’t able to capitalize off their extra opportunities to the fullest.

Gonzaga scored 17 second-chance points off a season-high 19 offensive rebounds, eight of which came from senior forward Ben Gregg. The Clackamas, Oregon, native finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Especially down the stretch, Gregg’s energy and hustle stood out on a night where the Bulldogs needed every opportunity they could get to score on the Beavers’ junkyard defense. 

Conversely, Oregon State had three offensive boards and two second-chance points. The rebounding margin also favored Mark Few and company, 41-28, though it didn’t end up translating in the score column. Worth noting, the Bulldogs went 11-of-25 on shots around the rim and just 21-of-47 from inside the arc overall.

ON TO SANTA CLARA

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Zags fans who went to check the Santa Clara-Loyola Marymount score during halftime in Corvallis were probably caught off guard by the final result that came out of Los Angeles late Thursday night.

Led by Caleb Stone-Carrawell’s 19 points, the Lions stunned the Broncos, 57-54, at Gersten Pavilion. Despite 25 points from Christoph Tilly, his Santa Clara teammates combined to go just 11-of-43 from the field in one of the worst offensive performances of the season for Herb Sendek and company.

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after loss vs. Oregon State

• What Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard said after loss vs. Oregon State

• Oregon State Beavers 97, Gonzaga Bulldogs 89: Live score update recap, highlights

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• 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracketology: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's represent West Coast Conference

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