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Gonzaga Basketball

Recap and highlights: Saint Mary’s tightens grip on WCC with 62-58 win over Gonzaga

 (Photos by Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Meehan The Spokesman-Review

MORAGA, Calif. — It lived up to the hype, and then some. It usually does when Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s square off on a basketball court.

But it was another sour ending for the Bulldogs in a season that’s seen too many of those conclusions in close games.

Gonzaga climbed out of a 14-point first-half deficit, poked its nose in front for 5 minutes in the second half, but Saint Mary’s made the biggest plays down the stretch to hold off the Zags 62-58 Saturday in front of a packed University Credit Union Pavilion.

The Zags dropped to 0-4 in games decided by six points or fewer, and that doesn’t include a pair of eight-point overtime losses. Like many of those setbacks, the Zags’ offense struggled in the latter stages of the game.

Gonzaga went 6 minutes and 30 seconds between field goals after Braden Huff put GU on top 49-45 and Graham Ike scored with 3:23 remaining to cut the Gaels’ lead to 56-55.

Ryan Nembhard’s 3-pointer tied it at 58 with 1:15 remaining, but Harry Wessels, pressed into duty with Mitchell Saxen fouling out, made two free throws with 50 seconds left. Wessels then blocked Ike’s shot, but SMC’s Luke Barrett missed the front end of a 1-and-1.

Nembhard came up short on a 3 but the Zags had one last chance with 5.8 seconds left. Ike put up an airball from the corner and Jordan Ross made two free throws to seal SMC’s win.

Gonzaga dropped to 16-7, 7-3 in conference. Saint Mary’s took a big step to repeating as WCC champions, bumping their record to 20-3 and 10-0. The Gaels have a three-game edge with eight games remaining.

Ike led GU with 24 points. Nembhard added 11 points and 12 assists, but no other Zags reached double figures.

BOX SCORE

First half

18:55 – SMC 4, GU 2: Fast start as the Gaels win the tip and Saxen hits his first shot. Hickman answers, but Ross hits a jumper to retake the lead.

15:13 – SMC 13, GU 8: Ike hits a jumper to snap a 7-0 run by the Gaels at the first media timeout. SMC opens 5 of 6 from the floor, Ross has five points. 

12:00 – SMC 22, GU 15: Nembhard hits a 3-pointer ahead of the U12 media timeout, but the Gaels just aren’t missing, 8 of 9 from the field to start the game. 

Nembhard doing everything for the Zags with five points and four assists. Marciulionis doing the same with eight points and three assists. 

7:37 – SMC 32, GU 18: Murauskas joins the 3-point parade to give the Gaels a 10-0 run and GU calls timeout.

Zags on a 3:50 scoring drought, while the Gaels have hit 69% of their shots and 6 of 8 3-pointers. GU going to need something to swing its way soon.

3:36 – SMC 32, GU 24: Nembhard called for a foul and Ross will go to the line after the U4 media timeout.

Zags on a 6-0 run, turned the tide a bit over the last stretch. SMC on a 4:05 scoring drought. Both teams struggling from the free throw line, Gaels 4 of 12, Zags 0 of 3. 

Halftime

Saint Mary’s used a strong start to take a 36-28 lead over Gonzaga, but for the Zags it could be worse.

The Gaels hit 9 of their first 10 shots from the field and made 7 of 12 3-point attempts in the half, but went just 5 of 15 from the free throw line.

Augustas Marciulionis has eight points and seven assists for SMC. Graham Ike leads GU with 10 points and five rebounds, while Ryan Nembhard adds five points and seven assists.

Second half

15:51 – GU 39, SMC 38: Great start to the second half for the Zags, who take their first lead on a jump hook from Ike, who has 17 points.

Gregg called for a foul on the other end, his third, to signal the U16 media timeout. Both Saxen and Marciulionis in foul trouble for the Gaels with three apiece.

Nembhard has five points and 10 assists. 

12:12 – GU 43, SMC 42: Huff makes a jumper as the lead changes multiple times ahead of a media timeout. 

SMC with six points in the half, and shooting 39% from the field after their red-hot start.

7:28 – GU 49, SMC 49: Zags go up, but Gaels tie it up at the U8 media timeout with GU missing their last five shots.

Marciulionis up to four fouls for SMC. 

5:11 – SMC 53, GU 50: Lewis hits a jumper and the Zags call a timeout with seven straight misses.

GU’s struggles in crunchtime coming out. Offense has gone cold after a strong showing for most of the second half.

3:53 – SMC 56, GU 53: Ike called for a foul at the U4 media timeout, but Gaels not yet in the bonus.

Zags haven’t hit a field goal in over six minutes. Good news for GU, though, Saxsen fouled out. They’ll hope Ike can get them going now.

2:43 – SMC 56, GU 55: Huff called for an illegal screen, turning it over when the Zags had a chance to retake the lead. Ike snapped GU’s long offensive slump, but had to go to the bench with an apparent leg injury.

1:25 – SMC 58, GU 55: Gregg can’t handle a pass from Nembhard, Murauskas hits a layup on the other end and the Zags call a timeout. Ike checks back in.

37.7 – SMC 60, GU 58: Gregg fouls Wessels, who hits two free throws. Zags call a timeout after Nembhard gets stuck with the ball.

0:00 – SMC 62, GU 58: Ike blocked on two attempts at the end by Wessels and the Zags lose in Moraga. Another game where GU falters in crunch time.

Starting fives

Gonzaga starters: Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Emmanuel Innocenti, Ben Gregg, Graham Ike.

Third straight start for Innocenti.

SMC starters: Augustas Marciulionis, Jordan Ross, Luke Barrett, Paulius Murauskas, Mitchell Saxen.

Pregame

Everyone knows what to expect when Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s get together.

Contrasting styles of play showcased nationally with heavy West Coast Conference title implications.

That’s the case for tonight’s matchup when the Zags (16-6, 7-2 WCC) take on the Gaels (19-3, 9-0) in a steamy, crowded University Union Credit Pavilion in Moraga, California. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN, though fans might expect a delayed tip or start on another ESPN channel due to the Kentucky-Arkansas game at 6 p.m.

Gonzaga responded nicely from a pair of losses with blowout wins over Portland last Saturday and Oregon State on Tuesday.

SMC hasn’t missed a step in WCC play, handing out decisive wins in most of its contests. WSU gave SMC a scare in Pullman with a 80-75 loss last Saturday, but the Gaels came back to beat Santa Clara 67-54 on Wednesday.

Series history

Gonzaga is 81-35 against Saint Mary’s all-time. The series has tightened the past three seasons with GU leading 5-4 since 2022. Before that, the Zags had won seven straight.

Saint Mary’s won two of three meetings last year, including in the WCC Tournament championship.

Team stats

  LMU (14-8, 6-4) Gonzaga (16-7, 7-3)
Points 71.3 88.2
Points allowed 69.5 71.2
Field goal pct. 43.6 50.0
Rebounds 34.9 39.3
Assists 13.9 19.7
Blocks 4.0 3.0
Steals 5.8 7.7
Streak Won 5 Lost 1

Individual leaders

POINTS PPG FG% FT%
Augustas Marciulionis (SMC) 13.6 43.9 80.6
Graham Ike (GU) 17.3 60.3 79.6
REBOUNDS RPG DRPG ORPG
Paulius Murauskas (SMC) 8.9 6.3 2.6
Graham Ike (GU) 7.2 5.1 2.0
ASSISTS APG TOPG MPG
Augustas Marciulionis (SMC) 5.7 2.1 33.8
Ryan Nembhard (GU) 9.9 2.2 34.6

Game preview

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