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Gonzaga Basketball

No. 7 Gonzaga opens final season in WCC with 50th straight win over Pepperdine 96-56

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Steele Venters (2) hits a three against the Pepperdine Waves during the first half of a college basketball game on Sunday, Dec 28, 2025, at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Steele Venters (2) hits a three against the Pepperdine Waves during the first half of a college basketball game on Sunday, Dec 28, 2025, at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson The Spokesman-Review

MALIBU, Calif. – Gonzaga breezed through its nonconference schedule, winning 11 of 12 games by double figures as it elevated to the No. 7 ranking in the country.

The Zags were intent on keeping that trend going in West Coast Conference play Sunday against Pepperdine.

Seventh-ranked Gonzaga scored the first nine points, established a 18-lead at halftime and left little suspense during a 96-56 rout of the Waves in the WCC opener at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Gonzaga won its 30th consecutive conference opener and picked up its 50th straight victory over Pepperdine. It’s officially the second-longest winning streak in NCAA history, only trailing the 52 straight wins UCLA had over Cal from 1961-85.

Making his first start since Nov. 14 at Arizona State, point guard Braeden Smith was on triple-double pace in the first half and finished with 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds. It was Smith’s second straight game in double figures after the redshirt junior totaled a season-high 21 points in GU’s nonconference finale against Oregon on Dec. 21.

The Zags were balanced while cruising to their first WCC win and second true road victory.

Graham Ike entered the game needing just five rebounds to reach 1,000 in his career. Ike cleared that mark in the first half and recorded his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 13 points to go with 10 rebounds. Ike finished 6 of 9 from the field.

Tyon Grant-Foster matched his career-high with four blocks and scored 16 points for Gonzaga, finishing 6 of 7 from the field. Freshman wing Davis Fogle had 15 points off the bench and Braden Huff was the fifth Zag to finish in double figures, scoring 10.

Gonzaga took a 9-0 lead out of the gates and didn’t concede a basket until Aaron Clark’s jumper at the 16-minute, 29-second mark.

The Zags played suffocating defense late in the first half, holding the Waves scoreless for 5 minutes, 17 seconds and without a field goal for 7 minutes, 41 seconds. Gonzaga went on an 18-0 run to take a 24-point lead.

A two-game Southern California trip concludes for Gonzaga (13-1, 1-0) on Tuesday against San Diego (6-7, 1-0) at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. and the game will air on KHQ/ESPN+. The Toreros won their WCC opener against Pacific, 66-54, earlier Sunday.