No. 24 Gonzaga rebounds and opens WCC play with emphatic 86-60 win over Pepperdine

Fri, Jan 5, 2024
NCAAB News (AP)

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Graham Ike scored 20 points, Anton Watson added 15 and No. 24 Gonzaga beat Pepperdine 86-60 on Thursday night in their West Coast Conference opener for its 46th straight win over the Waves.

Gonzaga (10-4, 1-0 WCC) has won all 25 conference openers under coach Mark Few, the last four coming against Pepperdine (7-9, 0-1).

Five Bulldogs scored in double figures including Nolan Hickman, who had 14 points. Hickman led the Zags with four 3-pointers and Gonzaga shot 42.1% on 3s after struggling badly from deep lately.

Gonzaga had dropped three of its last five and came into this one with its AP Top 25 ranking in jeopardy. The Bulldogs have made 142 consecutive appearances in the Top 25 poll since 2016.

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But the Zags had an easy night against Pepperdine.

Gonzaga seized control early with a 15-2 run. Ryan Nembhard and Hickman buried 3s as part of a 13-1 spurt later in the half and the Bulldogs led 45-27 at the break.

Gonzaga stayed hot into the second half, making eight straight shots over a three-minute span, including 3s from Watson and Nembhard, to give the Zags a 74-43 lead with 7:55 to play.

Nembhard finished with 10 points and seven assists, and Braden Huff added 11 points off the bench.

Houston Mallette led Pepperdine with 15 points but shot just 2 of 9. Michael Ajayi added 14.

BIG PICTURE

Pepperdine: Dropped its conference opener for the fifth consecutive season. The Waves had won two straight but are 0-4 on the road.

Gonzaga: Nembhard knocked down a pair of 3s as Gonzaga finished 8 of 19 from behind the arc. Nembhard had not hit a 3 since Dec. 5, missing 16 in a row going into the game.

UP NEXT

Pepperdine will be at home against Santa Clara on Saturday.

Gonzaga will host San Diego on Saturday.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball