Tyon Grant-Foster, Gonzaga's defense lead to win over Oklahoma

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs passed their first major test of the 2025-26 season, ultimately securing a 83-68 win over the Oklahoma Sooners at the Spokane Arena on Saturday night.

Gonzaga (2-0) picked up its first win over an SEC opponent this year, with two more chances coming up against Alabama on Nov. 24 in Las Vegas and Kentucky on Dec. 5 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Gonzaga's dynamic frontcourt duo of Graham Ike and Braden Huff combined to score 32 points, but it was the team's hounding defense and work on the glass that led them to the victory - not to mention another excellent performance from Tyon Grant-Foster, who endeared himself to the Zag faithful very quickly.

Below is a look at three key takeaways from Gonzaga's big time win over Oklahoma on Saturday:

1. Dominated the boards

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Gonzaga absolutely dominated down low on Saturday, finishing with a 58-20 advantage in points in the paint, including a ridiculous 38-4 advantage in the first half. Gonzaga outrebounded the Sooners 46-39, and held them to just two offensive rebounds and zero second chance points in the first half.

The Zags were undeterred by a rough shooting night from Huff (6-17), gobbling up 18 offensive rebounds and finishing with 16 second chance points. Jalen Warley was a huge part of that, scoring 13 points with five offensive rebounds, in addition to his elite on ball defense.

It's not a shock to see Gonzaga dominate an early season opponent on the glass, but to do it against a team in the SEC is a very promising sign of things to come for coach Few's team.

2. Tyon Grant-Foster cooked

Gonzaga Bulldogs Tyon Grant-Foster (7) and Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Tyon Grant-Foster certainly didn't look like a player still adjusting to Gonzaga's system. The 6'7 wing was all over the floor on Saturday night, putting together his own personal highlight reel in the first half alone, including a big time rejection on defense, a dunk in transition, an alley-oop from Saint-Supery, and a possession with multiple offensive rebounds before scoring and getting fouled.

He continued his work in the second half, ultimately finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds, and one assist. He brought the juice on both ends of the floor, and his infectious energy - which included engaging with the crowd multiple times - will make Zag nation even more happy he won his five month battle with the NCAA for eligibility this season.

3. Overwhelming defensive pressure

Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Gonzaga has long formed their identity around high scoring offenses, but this year's group just might be defined by their tenacity on the defensive side of the ball.

The Zags pushed Oklahoma around for a full 40 minutes, and were able to deploy multiple lineups with extreme length, versatility, and switchability on defense which flummoxed the Sooners from the opening tip.

A big concern coming into the game was how the team would handle defending Oklahoma's two high-scoring guards, 6'0 Nijel Pack and 6'2 Xzayvier Brown. Coach Few used Emmanuel Innocenti and Jalen Warley on them for a spell, and the length and physicality of those two completely took Oklahoma out of rhythm offensively, leading to turnovers and easy buckets in transition.

Overall Gonzaga racked up eight steals and had 14 points in transition, while holding the Sooners to a miserable 39.7% from the field and 23.1% from deep.

It was a complete and well-rounded performance from coach Few's team on Saturday, setting up another exciting matchup on Tuesday with the No. 23 ranked Creighton Bluejays at 7:00 PM at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

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