Gonzaga players react to beating Santa Clara in WCC tournament championship game

Considering what he did to Santa Clara in both regular season meetings, Gonzaga forward Graham Ike knew he'd be the center of the Broncos' defensive game plan for Tuesday's West Coast Conference tournament championship game.

Drawing double-teams from the moment the ball is tipped isn't really anything new for the league's reigning player of the year, after all. And after averaging over 27 points on better than 70% shooting against the Broncos in January and February, it was basically a foregone conclusion Herb Sendek wasn't going to let Ike have his way with a chance at an NCAA Tournament automatic bid on the line.

Despite being hounded and faced with multiple defenders every time he touched the ball, Ike hung with the game plan and got some much-needed support from Gonzaga's perimeter players, including freshmen duo Mario Saint-Supéry and Davis Fogle, to overcome Santa Clara's physicality and outside shooting for a 79-68 victory from the Orleans Arena.

Here's what Ike and Tyon Grant-Foster had to say after Gonzaga clinched its 23rd conference title.

Grant-Foster on what turned the tide in Gonzaga's favor

"I think it was just the rebounding. We played good defense, but it doesn't matter if we allowed them to get second-chance points. A lot of them can rebound. So we just started securing the ball."

Ike on claiming the WCC championship

"Can't get tired of winning championships, man, such a great feeling. We just want to continue to keep doing this. I'm glad the team rallied. It was a great 40 minutes, hard fought 40 minutes. Everybody pushed through, stuck with the plan, continued to fight."

"I'm just so proud of this team, for all we've been through this season, all that we went through in this game. Back-to-back champs; you don't hear that every day. I'm just glad that I could be a part of such a great legacy and lineage."

Ike on fighting through Santa Clara's double-teams

"It was really the team just sticking with the plan, man; guys creating for themselves and creating for others. I just wanted to continue to impact the game without scoring the ball, and I'm glad I could do that with blocked shots, rebounds and really just energy and effort and leadership. Just continue to keep the team together and have great huddles. I'm just proud of this group."

Grant-Foster on how Gonzaga has been able to execute against Santa Clara

"I would just say, our teammates trusting us, allowing us to play basketball. I would say that would be the main thing, because I think [Ike] only had like two shots at halftime. And I promise you, [Ike] kept telling me, like, 'Keep going. Look for me, but if you got an opening, keep going.'"

Ike on the team's chemistry

"This year, just building from the jump. Doing team activities, staying connected, team dinners, all kinds of sorts of things. And then just showing up every every day to work, to enjoy the work, to enjoy the fight. There's definitely something that we talked about this entire year, and just having a championship mentality every single day and just trying to win the day. And that's what we did."

Ike on Fogle and Saint-Supéry

"Their confidence is always at an all time high. They feel like they can make any shot. They're not freshmen anymore, I don't think so. After that game, they stepped up to the plate and they took full advantage of the opportunity. I'm super proud of them and what they've been doing this entire year and their performance today."