Gonzaga heads to San Diego looking to build on Pepperdine road win
Two weeks ago, the Gonzaga Bulldogs bounced back from a deflating loss at home to San Diego State with a resounding victory to open West Coast Conference play against Pepperdine.
The 26-point triumph over the Waves marked a fresh start to the new year, as Gonzaga got back to its brand of basketball following an up-and-down run through its nonconference slate. Graham Ike was dominant down low, shots were falling from beyond the arc and the effort defensively shut down Pepperdine's top three scorers.
With that performance in mind, the second round against the Waves on Thursday was like deja vu. Gonzaga rebounded from a tough loss at Santa Clara behind another big night from Ike while knocking down eight 3-pointers to pull away in the second half. Even the final score of 86-61 was eerily similar to the 86-60 decision from the first head-to-head meeting in Spokane.
The 47th-straight win over Pepperdine had a little more meaning than the average victory, as Mark Few earned his 700th career win in the process.
"It's crazy, I had no idea the other night [at Santa Clara]. I literally had no idea until people started talking about it," Few said after the game. "What a great run with just unbelievable players, just unbelievable players that everyone fell in love with. And just a great staff ... that's what's made this thing so special."
The celebratory win was also big for Gonzaga's standing in the national ranks. The Bulldogs jumped from 46th to 35th in the NET, the biggest rise from any team ranked in the top 100 over the last 24 hours, as well as going from 25th to 21st in KenPom's rankings. The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee certainly won't look back on Thursday's win as a boost, but there's something worth noting in a team getting its first win on the road in a season where it's been proven that winning away from home is not an easy task.
If the Bulldogs can apply what they learned from the win in Malibu moving forward, they will play themselves back into postseason discussion.
That all starts with a trip south to San Diego, as the Bulldogs (12-5, 3-1 WCC) complete a three-game road stretch against the Toreros (10-9, 0-4 WCC) who are looking for their first win in league play this season.
A fast-paced tempo in the first head-to-head meeting favored Gonzaga on both ends of the floor, as San Diego committed 19 turnovers in the 101-74 final in Spokane on Jan. 6. The Bulldogs took advantage with 27 points off those mistakes from the Toreros, while Ben Gregg had a career-night with 22 points, seven rebounds and four steals off the bench.
The 6-foot-10 junior won't sneak up on San Diego this time, especially if Few sticks with him in the starting lineup. That wouldn't be a shock based on Gregg's performance in the first start of his career against the Waves, as he finished with five points, four assists and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes of action. His energy and chemistry with the four other starters was a breath of fresh air for a team that lacked connectivity and grit in the Santa Clara loss.
San Diego faced a tough draw to start league play with Saint Mary's, Gonzaga and San Francisco all in a week's span. The Toreros lost all three by double-digits before blowing a 15-point lead at home to Pepperdine, which hadn't won a game on the road since 2021. Steve Lavin's young group is still figuring things out clearly, but that doesn't overshadow the roster's individual talent.
Deuce Turner has been a bright spot offensively since league play started, as the 6-foot-2 junior averages 20.0 points against WCC teams. Turner led San Diego in the loss at Gonzaga with 24 points, though most of those points came when the outcome was essentially decided in the second half. The Bulldogs' backcourt, especially Nolan Hickman, made it difficult for the Toreros to run their offense through Turner in the first half, much like Pepperdine struggled to get going with Michael Ajayi held in check by Anton Watson.
Turner will have more help this time than he did in Spokane, though. Junior guard Wayne McKinney III, who didn't play in the first head-to-head meeting, will likely be available this time around after playing in San Diego's last two games. McKinney III is second on the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game and applies a lot of foul pressure, as he averages 5.3 free-throw attempts.
Slowing down the Toreros' starting backcourt will be a big priority for the Bulldogs. It will be interesting to see how Hickman and Nembhard respond to the short turnaround after playing 36 and 38 minutes, respectively, against the Waves. San Diego will come in more rested after its game against Portland was delayed to next Tuesday due to travel difficulties associated with inclement weather in the Pacific Northwest.
