What Gonzaga players said following win over Santa Clara

Bulldogs overwhelmed the Broncos down the stretch for their 10th straight win

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Gonzaga forward Graham Ike spent Thursday night proving why he was deserving of being considered one of the best players in college basketball.

Ike, who was named a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award just hours before a West Coast Conference showdown against Santa Clara, poured in a season-high 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading the Bulldogs (17-1, 5-0 WCC) to an 89-77 victory over the Broncos (13-5, 4-1 WCC) from McCarthey Athletic Center.

The 6-foot-9 forward fueled the Zags from start to finish, scoring nine of the team's first 11 points of regulation before rattling off 10 straight in the second half to help Gonzaga pull away from a Santa Clara team that refused to go away quietly in the first half.

Self-inflicted miscues and climbing foul totals helped dig the Zags an early hole, as the Broncos went ahead by as many as eight following an 11-0 scoring run late in the first half. Santa Clara's effort on the offensive glass played a role as well, though it wasn't long before Gonzaga turned up the intensity on that end of the floor, stifling the Broncos' offense while creating easy scoring opportunities for itself.

A 17-0 scoring run from the Zags midway through the second half essentially sealed the Broncos' fate while clinching a 10th consecutive win for Gonzaga.

Emannuel Innocenti added 13 points on 4-of-4 from the field, including a big 3-pointer in the second half to create separation on the scoreboard. Braden Huff added 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field.

Here's what Ike and Huff had to say after the game.

Ike on what it took to pull away in the second half

"We wanted to limit our turnovers, take better care of the ball, stop fouling; because they got in the bonus pretty early and hit some free throws early on. I thought we did a great job of that in the second half, and we turned their turnovers into points."

Huff on the difference in the second half

"I think a lot of it was that defense. We really buckled down there, forced a lot of turnovers, started rebounding those misses, and I think it just allowed us to run and kind of get in transition. We got a couple easy ones; [Innocenti] got on the rim there, which was good to see ... but yeah, I think the defensive end allowed us to just get going offensively."

Ike on how the Zags have been able to handle adversity

"You could definitely credit some of the veteran leadership. I really think it was like the 7a.m. practices in the summer; built the callus. We didn't have a choice, and nobody batted an eye or said anything in regards to trying to get out of it. Everybody stood together, and we're just like, 'we're getting through this.' And that just built the callus for who we are today."

Huff on Ike's performance

"It's a lot of fun. I mean, we work out together all the time, I know he's capable of knocking down those shots. He had it going from the jump, and he didn't let up at all tonight. And he sacrifices, like he could be a 20-plus point per game scorer, but he sacrifices a lot to win for the team. So tonight, I think you just saw how dominant he is. And definitely in my eyes, the best big in the country."

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