Jalen Warley carries Gonzaga to very sloppy win at San Diego

The Zags moved to 2-0 in WCC play with an ugly six point win over the Toreros on Tuesday

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Jalen Warley (8). | Photo courtesy of Gonzaga University Athletics

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs faced very little adversity in the first half of the 2025-26 college basketball season, a fact that had many concerned about how they would respond when they finally found themselves in a close game late.

While most expected that would happen against someone like UCLA, or Oregon, or Saint Mary's, it was Steve Lavin and the pesky San Diego Toreros who gave Gonzaga quite the scare on Tuesday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Gonzaga ultimately prevailed, 99-93, but it certainly wasn't pretty for a team that only had one game determined by less than 10 points in the non-conference, and who just beat Pepperdine by 40 points two days previously.

USD went on a 9-0 run in the final minutes, erasing a double-digit lead and getting within five thanks to multiple turnovers by Gonzaga and disastrous shooting from the free throw line.

The Zags coughed the ball up a season-high 15 times, many coming in the final two minutes as USD's full-court pressure led to multiple miscues by Gonzaga's guards. They shot a pitiful 13-24 (54%) from the line as well, with Graham Ike and Emmanuel Innocenti each going 0-2 down the stretch.

A win is a win, although Gonzaga will need to use this as a wake-up call. Teams in the WCC know this is their last chance to take down Goliath, and if the Zags sleepwalk through another one like this, they might not be able to muscle their way to a victory.

Below are three takeaways from Gonzaga's sloppy win in San Diego on Tuesday:

1. Emotions ran high

A familiar issue for Gonzaga reared its ugly head late in the first half when Ike and San Diego big man Vuk Boskovic got into it, first resulting in a technical foul for Boskovic. However, on the next offensive possession, Ike dribbled hard right into Boskovic with his shoulder down and picked up an offensive foul - his second of the game. After heading to the bench, Ike said something to the official and was assessed a technical of his own, which counts as another personal. That led to him not starting the second half, which is not something coach Few has done very often historically.

Ike eventually subbed in at the 14:15 mark of the second half, and promptly picked up his fourth foul 33 seconds later and went back to the bench.

Emotions getting the best of Ike was an issue Gonzaga saw often last year, and one that coach Few and the staff certainly hoped was behind them here in his final season.

Fortunately, Gonzaga's frontcourt depth carried them through, which leads to takeaway No. 2:

2. Jalen Warley had his best game in a Gonzaga uniform

Jalen Warley has had a lot of great games already in a Gonzaga uniform. But considering the context on Tuesday night, his rebounding and relentless attacking of the rim offensively were much, much needed.

The senior recorded his first double-double as a Zag, posting a team-high 22 points and 14 boards along with five assists, three steals, and one block.

Not only was he a menace on the offensive glass - he had seven compared to five for San Diego as a team - he was incredibly aggressive in attacking the rim and looking to score, which Gonzaga needed from him on a night when Ike and Huff were saddled with foul trouble.

Once again, Gonzaga's depth was what carried them to a road victory in an otherwise sleepy performance, something that they will need to happen consistently in order to make a deep run in March.

3. Tyon Grant-Foster is here to dominate the WCC

After a slow start to December, Tyon Grant-Foster has really turned things around to begin conference play. The 6'7 wing dropped 18 on 6-7 shooting against Pepperdine on Sunday and followed that up with an excellent, and much-needed, performance on Tuesday against the Toreros.

The former WAC Player of the Year was responsible for Gonzaga going into halftime with an 11-point lead, picking up the slack from a listless starting five by scoring 13 points on 5-7 shooting, along with four rebounds and a steal.

TGF LETS IT FLY ✈️ pic.twitter.com/aPZG4PMHA7

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 31, 2025

Every time the Toreros gained a little momentum, Grant-Foster was there to quickly get it back for the Zags. That included generating a steal and an and-1 opportunity on the other end, followed by a clutch three to push the team's lead back to nine after a big run from USD. And after Ike picked up his technical foul at the end of the first half, it was Grant-Foster who threw down an alley-oop dunk to quiet the San Diego crowd before the buzzer.

Ultimately, the super senior finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists, while shooting 7-10 from the field.

Ike and Huff are good enough to carry Gonzaga to a strong finish in the WCC, but it will be consistency from Grant-Foster that gets this team over the edge and secures a final WCC championship and a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament.