Gonzaga Nation

In-game updates and analysis of Gonzaga vs. UCLA in West Coast Hoops Showdown

Zags and Bruins meet for the sixth time since 2021
Cole Forsman|
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Emmanuel Innocenti (5) rebounds the ball over UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena.
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Emmanuel Innocenti (5) rebounds the ball over UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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Gonzaga Bulldogs

The sixth meeting between Gonzaga and UCLA since 2021 felt a lot like the previous five head-to-head matchups between West Coast powerhouses.

The players wearing the Bulldogs and Bruins threads were different, but the same physicality and competitiveness that led to so many memorable finishes over the past few years defined the latest installment of their the rivalry Saturday in front of jam-packed Climate Pledge Arena crowd.

And once again, it was Gonzaga leaving the slugfest with an impressive victory.

The Bulldogs (10-1) never managed to pull away from the Bruins (7-3) for good, despite delivering a few haymakers throughout Saturday’s tussle, but received big-time performances from Graham Ike and Braden Huff to earn their first win in Seattle since 2019.

Ike returned from some ankle soreness that kept him out of Gonzaga’s last game to lead the way Saturday with 25 points, while Braden Huff chipped in 21 points in an 82-72 final from Climate Pledge.

2ND HALF

4-MINUTE TIMEOUT

Gonzaga 74, UCLA 66 (3:52): Gonzaga slugged its way to a double-digit lead for a minute before Skyy Clark ended UCLA's 4-minute-long scoring drought with a layup, snapping a 7-0 Gonzaga run that was fueled at the free-throw line.

8-MINUTE TIMEOUT

Gonzaga 66, UCLA 64 (7:56): The Bruins answered the Bulldogs' spurt with a big dunk from Xavier Booker, followed by a score from Donovan Dent after Booker got a piece of Graham Ike's layup attempt on the other end of the floor. Ike was productive but not as efficient in the second half compared to his first half showing, missing five of his first seven attempts after halftime.

UCLA TIMEOUT

Gonzaga 66, UCLA 60 (8:51): A quick 7-0 spurt, fueled by a Braeden Smith 3-pointer and couple of tough finishes around the rim from Graham Ike and Tyon Grant-Foster, had the mostly pro-Gonzaga crowd on its feet after the Zags jumped out in front by six, prompting a timeout from Mick Cronin.

GONZAGA TIMEOUT

UCLA 54, Gonzaga 53 (14:33): The Bruins ripped off a quick 9-0 run to take their first lead since the 10:23 mark in the first half, as the Zags hit a rut offensively after looking sharp for a majority of the game.

MEDIA TIMEOUT

Gonzaga 53, UCLA 48 (16:24): "Oohs" and "ahhs" filled Climate Pledge after Mario Saint-Supéry jumped a pass on the wing, euro-stepped his way around Donovan Dent and completed a 3-point play at the foul line, putting the Zags up eight. Tyler Bilodeau continued to burnt he Bulldogs from deep, as he knocked down his fourth 3-pointer of the night to silence the crowd and make it a 5-point game again. Graham Ike, Braden Huff and Mario Saint-Supéry scored 43 of Gonzaga's first 53 points.

HALFTIME

Gonzaga 45, UCLA 40

Battle of the bigs: Graham Ike (15 points, 6-of-7 shooting) and Braden Huff (14 points, 6-of-7 shooting) looked unstoppable at times, but Tyler Bilodeau (16 points, 4-of-6 shooting) was excellent for the Bruins, keeping UCLA in the fight despite some efficient shotmaking from the Zags to end the half.

Gonzaga found its groove: Gonzaga made 13 of its final 18 attempts from the field following a 4-for-12 start, equating to an 18-for-31 showing overall. UCLA's zone defense disrupted Gonzaga at times early on, making it difficult to get the ball to Ike and Huff, though the Zags settled in and found success through their pick-and-roll sets with their bigs. The Bruins' pick-and-pop game with Bilodeau drew positive results for UCLA too, as the 6-foot-9 forward was 2-for-2 from downtown in the first half. UCLA, which went 11-for-12 from the foul line, drove to the rim with conviction as well.

1ST HALF

TIMEOUT GONZAGA

Gonzaga 43, UCLA 40 (0:14): Mark Few wanted to talk over Gonzaga's ensuing possession to end the first half. Despite the Zags' hot stretch to close the first 20 minutes, the Bruins remained in the fight with some well-executed pick plays for Tyler Bilodeau and one-on-one play from their perimeter players.

4-MINUTE TIMEOUT

Gonzaga 37, UCLA 32 (2:41): The frontcourts traded blows down the stretch of an entertaining first half of basketball from Climate Pledge. Graham Ike answered a made 3-pointer from Tyler Bilodeau with a powerful post move right through UCLA's 6-foot-9 forward, sending Bilodeau to the floor and putting the Zags back up seven. Eric Dailey Jr. responded moments later with a jumper. Ike (13 points) and Bilodeau (11) led their respective teams in scoring with 3 minutes to go before halftime.

TIMEOUT UCLA

Gonzaga 33, UCLA 25 (5:02): Gonzaga's bigs found their groove late in the half, propelling the Zags to their biggest lead of the night and prompting Mick Cronin to call timeout after Braden Huff drilled an open 3 from the wing. Huff and Graham Ike combined to score 12 in a row for the Zags, who improved to 14-of-24 from the field with Huff's triple.

8-MINUTE TIMEOUT

Gonzaga 25, UCLA 21 (7:07): Graham Ike assured anyone who was worried about his ankle that we was feeling just fine, as he threw down a powerful one-handed dunk off one leg over UCLA forward Xavier Booker, sending the Climate Pledge crowd into a frenzy and keeping the Zags out in front of the Bruins. Ike and Gonzaga's pick-and-roll propelled a stretch of seven makes in eight tries for the Zags, who started the game 4-of-12 from the field.

12-MINUTE TIMEOUT

UCLA 16, Gonzaga 12 (11:42): Gonzaga started to settle in offensively as the half progressed, but UCLA was holding its own in the painted area, making it difficult for the Zags to lean on their bigs. The Bruins' 2-3 zone caused some disruption early on, though their toughness around the rim was the main reason Gonzaga was just 5-for-13 from the field and 1-for-2 on layups.

16-MINUTE TIMEOUT

UCLA 11, Gonzaga 7 (15:53): Gonzaga might not have been exactly dialed in out of the gate, but Graham Ike was ready and came out of the gate firing. The Bulldogs forward had his team's first seven points after making his first three attempts, including a 3-pointer at the top of the key to get Gonzaga on the board. Three consecutive misses to start and some early fouls on the defensive end allowed the Bruins to jump out to a 7-0 advantage less than 2 minutes into the game.

PREGAME

Gonzaga fans take Climate Pledge: Zags fans outnumbered Bruins supporters, as expected, though there were still a decent amount of UCLA blue and yellow in the crowd.

Starters: Gonzaga trotted out Mario Saint-Supéry (8.8 ppg, 5 apg), Steele Venters (6.6 ppg), Emmanuel Innocenti (5.6 ppg), Graham Ike (16.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Braden Huff (17 ppg, 5.1 rpg) to start. UCLA went with Donovan Dent (12 ppg, 6.4 apg), Skyy Clark (12.7 ppg), Eric Dailey (11.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Tyler Bilodeau (15.6 ppg) and Xavier Booker (10.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg).

Graham Ike health status: Gonzaga's 6-foot-9 forward was back in the starting lineup after he went through pregame warmups with his team. Ike missed the last game against North Florida due to ankle soreness.

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

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Cole Forsman
COLE FORSMAN

Cole Forsman is a reporter for Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI. Cole holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.

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