Gonzaga locks down defensively in blowout win over LMU on Sunday

The Zags held LMU to 47 points in a much needed blowout win at The Kennel

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery (17). | Photo by Erik Smith

It looked like another rough night was coming for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs after the first seven minutes against LMU on Sunday. The Zags were down 14-4 and off to a horrendous 0-7 start from the three point line, with very fresh memories of the team's near loss to Seattle in every fans mind.

However, a renewed intensity on the defensive end of the floor allowed Gonzaga to go on quite possibly the longest 14-0 run in program history, and another late run led the Zags to a 14 point halftime lead and eventually a breezy 82-47 win at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Gonzaga finally got separation late in the first half due to timely shotmaking and incredibly hard work on defense, ultimately going into the locker room with a 33-19 lead. The team's 1-11 start from beyond the arc was quickly forgotten in the second half, when coach Few opted to start Adam Miller and Tyon Grant-Foster over Steele Venters and Davis Fogle - who started his first career game - in a move that immediately paid off as the duo combined to hit three threes in the first 90 seconds to give Gonzaga a 21 point lead.

Fogle started in place of Emmanuel Innocenti, who was dealing with an illness, although Innocenti eventually played and was a big catalyst for the team's late push in the first half, ultimately finishing with four points and a steal in 11 minutes.

Gonzaga's slow start offensively was not remotely a factor in the second half, with the team scoring 49 points thanks to strong showings from Graham Ike (16 points) and Jalen Warley (12 points).

And while Braden Huff only scored eight points on 4-10 shooting, the big man had a team-high nine rebounds with four assists for the Zags.

The win gives Gonzaga a 51-4 record over LMU in coach Few's tenure, a record that could hold for a while, as this is the last regular season matchup between these two teams before the Zags move into the Pac-12 in 2026-27.

Gonzaga (16-1, 4-0 in WCC) will now get a much-needed-three-day break before hosting Santa Clara (13-4, 4-0) on Thursday at 8:30 PM PT.

Below are three key takeaways from Gonzaga's hard fought win over LMU:

1. Gonzaga got back to relentless ball pressure on defense

The first half of this game was incredibly ugly for Gonzaga offensively, but they did manage to string together a pair of 14-0 runs thanks to their elite defense - something we haven't seen from this team the past two games. The defensive intensity is even more impressive considering the short turnaround from Friday's game, this being Gonzaga's fourth game in seven days, and it coming on a Sunday evening with no student section.

Gonzaga desperately needed to remind themselves - and the fans - they can play with that kind of intensity on the defensive end of the floor. It's something fans saw from them quite a bit in the early part of the season, but it was certainly lacking when they gave up 82 points to Oregon and 93 points to San Diego last week.

All told, the Zags limited LMU to 47 points on 30% shooting, including 26% from three, while generating nine steals as part of 13 LMU turnovers.

Gonzaga's depth allows them to play very hard on the defensive end of the floor, with players knowing they will get a breather when they need it. Case in point: Emmanuel Innocenti didn't sub into this game until the under-4 media timeout in the first half and he immediately got a steal, poked the ball away on the next possession, scored in transition, and got a stop on the final play before halftime.

The team's depth also allows them to run their half court and full court press throughout the game, which was another big reason LMU put up an anemic offensive performance in their final appearance at The Kennel as conference foes.

2. Mario Saint-Supery is back!

The past few weeks have not been kind to point guard Mario Saint-Supery. The 6'3 Spanish guard was battling a lengthy illness, had not made a two point field goal in four straight games, and lost his starting job to Braeden Smith.

However, Saint-Supery looked like his old self on Sunday against LMU. He finished with 13 points and five assists, including a beautiful bounce pass from halfcourt to Miller during a big scoring spurt a few minutes into the second half. Saint-Supery finished 5-7 from the field, including 4-6 on two pointers, and he tacked on two rebounds and a steal for good measure.

As great as Braeden Smith has been for the Zags, they are at their best when both point guards are playing well - and it's not good news for the rest of the WCC that Saint-Supery appears to be back to the player he was earlier in the season.

3. Adam Miller came alive offensively

Adam Miller found ways to positively impact this Gonzaga team over the past few weeks - even when his shots weren't falling - but it sure was nice to see the ball go in the net for the fifth year senior on Sunday.

Miller had scored just 14 total points in Gonzaga's previous five games, but he found his shot against LMU, finishing with 11 points on 4-6 shooting, including 3-5 from three, in 19 minutes off the bench. Miller started the second half for Gonzaga and drilled a pair of threes in the first 90 seconds, helping to push Gonzaga's lead from 14 to 21 before the first media timeout.

The 6'3 guard also tallied three steals and two rebounds in one of his better all-around games in a Gonzaga uniform - helping to remind the nation how much depth this Gonzaga team has on the roster.