Recap and highlights: No. 6 Gonzaga dominates No. 8 Baylor in season opener 101-63
Gonzaga coach Mark Few has said several times leading up to Monday’s season opener against Baylor there’s not much difference between the Zags’ starters and top reserves.
Both were outstanding in the first half against the eighth-ranked Bears. Dusty Stromer and Braden Huff provided big minutes off the bench and the starting five – Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Khalif Battle, Ben Gregg and Graham Ike – kept the throttle down.
No. 6 Gonzaga raced in front by 19 points at half and cruised to an impressive 101-63 victory in front of a full house at the Spokane Arena.
The 38-point final margin was GU’s largest against a top-10 foe. The previous high was 20 points against No. 2 UCLA in 2021 in Las Vegas and 20 vs. No. 8 Washington in 2006.
The Zags trailed 9-8 when Stromer checked in. The sophomore wing hit the first of his three first-half 3-pointers to put GU on top for good, 11-8. Huff followed with a bucket inside off Nembhard’s assist, Stromer connected on another 3 and Huff added a layup.
Stromer and Huff, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward, combined to score 17 consecutive GU points as the Zags moved in front 30-18. Hickman heated up with consecutive baskets and a long 3-pointer that pushed GU’s lead to 21 late in the half.
Baylor switched on screens early and the Zags capitalized on some mismatches inside. When the Bears went to a zone defense, Hickman got free on the baseline for a floater.
Gonzaga hit 54.3% from the field and had 13 assists on 19 baskets in the opening half.
Baylor Athletics / Youtube
GU’s defense, which yielded 96 points to USC in an exhibition loss, limited Baylor to 36.4% shooting and just 2 of 13 on 3-pointers in the first half.
Freshman VJ Edgecombe, projected as a lottery pick, didn’t score in the first 17-plus minutes and he had one shot in the lane swatted away by Battle, leading to a Hickman layup at the other end. He finished with just four points.
Gonzaga extended the lead to 25 points by scoring the first five points of the second half. Baylor chipped away, closing to 59-46 on back-to-back layups by freshman Robert Wright.
The Zags responded with a 16-2 run to rebuild their lead to 75-48 with 8:10 remaining. Huff maneuvered inside for a field goal and Ike added three more baskets in the paint.
Nembhard and Hickman buried 3-pointers and Ike added a putback, forcing a Baylor timeout. The break didn’t bother Battle, who hit three 3-pointers in 66 seconds to put Baylor in a 34-point hole.
Gonzaga, which has won 19 consecutive season openers, ended a three-game losing streak against top 10 opponents dating back to a 79-76 victory over No. 7 UCLA in the 2023 Sweet 16.
Hickman finished with a team-high 17 points and Ike added 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Huff contributed 14 points, Battle 12 and Stromer 11. Nembhard had 11 assists, one short of his GU career high.
Norchad Omier led Baylor with 15 points and nine boards.
First half
20:00 – GU 0, BU 0: Game will start on ESPNU, while the MNF postgame wraps up.
19:00 – BU 1, GU 0: Hickman misses the Zags first shot of the season and Ike is called for a quick foul on the other end after an offensive rebound. Omier hits 1 of 2 free throws.
16:23 – GU 8, BU 1: Great start for the Zags, who are on an 8-0 run as Baylor calls a timeout. Bears have not scored in 2:37. Gregg leads with four points, Ike and Hickman chip-in two apiece.
14:06 – GU 11, BU 9: Celestine and Stromer trade 3-pointers as the lead changes hands. Stormer starts his sophomore season looking to shoot, 1 of 2 on 3-pointers.
11:14 – GU 18, BU 11: Early returns: experience matters. Stromer knocks down his second 3-pointer to lead the Zags with six points at the U12 media timeout. Huffs adds four off the bench. Baylor freshman Edgecombe starts 0 of 4 from the field in his first collegiate action.
GU was on a 10-0 run, all bench points, before Wright hit a jumper.
6:44 – GU 30, BU 11: Battle hits a 3-pointer and Celestine is called for a foul on the other end at the U8 media timeout.
Zags impressing so far already with seven scorers, shooting 50% from the field with seven offensive rebounds. GU has a 19-5 advantage in bench points. Stormer leads all scorers with nine (3 of 4 on 3-pointers).
3:41 – GU 36, BU 24: Baylor starts to get its offense going, but Gregg converts a three-point play at the U4 media timeout. He’ll have a free throw when play resumes.
Halftime
Gonzaga has put its depth on display to take a 49-30 lead over Baylor at the Spokane Arena.
The Zags have deployed an eight-man rotating, resulting in 19 bench points and eight scorers. Hickman leads with 11, while Gregg and Stromer add nine apiece.
Nembhard has three points and five assists, while Ike has four points and five rebounds.
Second half
15:44 – GU 55, BU 35: Zags maintain their lead at the U16 media timeout, but have not scored in 2:08 and are 1 of their last 7 from the field.
14:10 – GU 59, BU 42: Few calls a timeout with Battle trapped.
Huff (10 points) joins Hickman (14) in double figures. Baylor with a slight advantage this half.
11:18 – GU 65, BU 46: Bears cut the Zags lead to 13, but Ike answers with back-to-back baskets in the paint after a Huff jumper.
GU up to three players in double figures with Hickman (14 points), Huff (12) and Ike (11).
8:10 – GU 75, BU 48: Ike has taken over in the second half, up to 15 points and seven rebounds (five offensive), as the Zags are on a 16-2 run.
Hickman still leads with 17 points after he hits a 3-pointer. Baylor calls a timeout.
6:10 – GU 84, BU 50: Battle hits three consecutive 3-pointers and the Spokane Arena is going wild. Baylor calls a timeout.
Zags open up their largest lead of the game, one of their more impressive games in some time.
3:37 – GU 89, BU 55: Ayaji hits a 3-pointer as the Zags are rolling at the U4 media timeout. Now five Bulldogs in double figures with Hickman (17), Ike (15), Battle (12), Huff (12) and Stromer (11).
This game is all but over. We’ll be back with a full recap at the final buzzer.
Starting five
Gonzaga: Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Khalif Battle, Ben Gregg, Graham Ike.
Baylor: Jeremy Roach, Jayden Nunn, V.J. Edgecombe, Josh Ojianwuna, Norchad Omier.
Pregame
Gonzaga and Baylor will tip off the college basketball season in style Monday night with a top-10 showdown at the Spokane Arena.
The No. 6 Zags and No. 8 Bears bring lofty expectations into this year, but with vastly different roster construction.
Gonzaga returns four starters and most of its key players. The budding two-man game with point guard Ryan Nembhard and forward Graham Ike will be the focus, aided by seasoned contributors Ben Gregg and Nolan Hickman, and newcomers Michael Ayaji and Khalif Battle.
Baylor has nine newcomers, though transfers Jeremy Roach (Duke), Norchad Omier (Miami) and Jalen Celestine (California) have combined for 330 career games and 269 starts at their previous stops. The Bears also bring a top-10 recruiting class featuring VJ Edgecombe.
Tipoff is set for approximately 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2, following the ManningCast coverage of Monday Night Football.
Series history
The Zags hold a 3-2 record over the Bears since 2010, but have lost the last two meetings, most notably the 2021 National Championship game where GU lost its first game of the season.
Baylor also scored a 64-63 win in 2022 in a game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Preview coverage
More on the Zags