Analysis: Graham Ike, Braden Huff make statement against No. 25 UCLA, lift No. 8 Gonzaga to 82-72 win

SEATTLE – Graham Ike caught the ball at the free throw line and surveyed what was in front of him. Just one baby-blue jersey stood between Gonzaga’s forward and the basket, but another was already sliding into position to provide reinforcement. The cinderblock pieces making up this particular UCLA wall: 6-foot-11 center Xavier Booker and 6-foot-9 forward Eric Dailey Jr.

Ike, playing with the determination of about 50 men on Saturday, felt good about his odds.

The senior took a single dribble and two short steps before loading up, launching and connecting on a powerful one-handed dunk over both Bruin players.

Eighth-ranked Gonzaga was still well over an hour from sealing up an 82-72 win over the 25th-ranked Bruins at Climate Pledge Arena, but Ike’s statement slam was symbolic of the message the Zags hoped to send in a building where they hadn’t been victorious in three previous tries.

“It was great, I think whenever we come to Seattle the turnout’s always awesome,” said junior Braden Huff, who was part of Gonzaga’s tag-team effort against UCLA on Saturday. “Just to be able to deliver this time was a lot of fun and it was a great environment.”

Ike, more interested in letting his play speak on Saturday, was asked if he had anything to add.

“(Huff) took the words out of my mouth,” Ike said.

The 11th installment of this classic West Coast hoops rivalry had many elements of a typical Gonzaga-UCLA game. Back-and-forth play. Lead changes early and late. Exceptional individual performances from players on both sides. Tense moments for just about everyone watching.

Fortunately for Gonzaga, the ending provided something different than what fans had become accustomed to at Climate Pledge Arena.

After losses to Alabama, UConn and Kentucky, the Zags finally broke free from their Climate Pledge curse and extended their all-time series lead against the Bruins to 8-3. That includes five wins in the last six games between the schools.

As Gonzaga’s longest-tenured players, Ike and Huff had been involved in two of the team’s three losses at the 18,300-seat venue. That fact didn’t seem lost on Mark Few’s frontcourt tandem Saturday against UCLA.

Ike, who’s played at an All-American-level in virtually every game outside of a 40-point loss to Michigan, delivered 25 points on 9 of 16 shooting, 1 of 2 from the 3-point line and 6 of 9 from the free throw line.

Huff was determined to avenge Gonzaga’s previous losses in Seattle, but possibly also last year’s game against UCLA, when he scored just two points on 1 of 6 shooting in a three-point loss to the Bruins.

UCLA probably anticipated a different version of Huff this season, considering the junior had reached double digits in all 10 games leading up to Saturday. Huff delivered arguably his best game of the year, scoring 21 points against the Bruins, knocking down just his third 3-poitner of the season while making 7 of 12 shots from the field.

“B-Huff kept delivering, as usual,” Ike said. “Day in and day out, we know it’s going to come. We expect it. No pressure for him, he just does what he does.”

The Zags couldn’t afford to have both bigs not playing well in a game that saw UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau, a Kamiakin High School graduate, post 24 points – his third-highest total in a Bruins uniform – on 7 of 13 from the field, 4 of 6 from the 3-point line and 6 of 7 from the free throw line.

Gonzaga led the majority of the game, but UCLA erased an eight-point deficit in the second half and briefly went back ahead on Donovan Dent’s transition layup. There were nine total lead changes, but the Zags went ahead for good when Adam Miller and Braeden Smith hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions with just under 11 minutes to play.

In a game that was tight up until the final five minutes, Gonzaga and UCLA more or less matched each other from the field, with the Zags making 28 of 56 (50%) and the Bruins making 25 of 51 (49%). The Bruins were better from the 3-point line, making 7 of 15 (46%) compared to the Zags’ 6 of 16 (37.5%), but GU won the rebounding column 36-29.

“People pay attention to what they want to in life,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “If we think we will win with our offense in a game like this, give up 82, I theorize that you don’t think it’s that important.”

Ike opened the game with seven consecutive points for Gonzaga, punctuating his first-half scoring with the aforementioned dunk.

Outside of Ike and Huff, freshman point guard Mario Saint-Supery was the only other GU player to reach double figures, totaling 12 points on 4 of 6 shooting while grabbing four rebounds.

Dent had a 12-point, 10-assist double-double for the Bruins, who also got 12 points and five rebounds from Xavier Booker.

The Gonzaga senior had 11 points through the first eight minutes before giving way to Huff, who was the only player in a Zags uniform to score for a 4-minute, 38-second window late in the first half. Huff had 12 straight GU points during the stretch, but the Zags couldn’t withstand multiple blows from Bilodeau and only led by five points at halftime.

The Zags (10-1) continue nonconference play on Wednesday against Campbell (4-5). Tipoff at McCarthey Athletic Center is set for 6 p.m. (KHQ).