Recap and highlights: No. 19 Gonzaga’s defense continues to shine in 77-65 win over Arizona State
TEMPE, Ariz. – Mark Few expected his 19th-ranked Gonzaga team would have to overcome a new set of hurdles in its first true road game of the season.
Few wasn’t necessarily wrong, but it wasn’t a hostile crowd at Arizona State that had the Zags rattled at various points of a 77-65 win over the Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena.
Both teams spent the night playing through a cacophony of referee whistles, but the Zags encountered real adversity early in the second half when starting bigs Graham Ike and Braden Huff each picked up third foul, only a matter of minutes before senior wing Jalen Warley was tagged with his third.
At a key juncture of the game, after ASU had trimmed a 14-point deficit to five, the foul scales tipped back toward the Sun Devils, who began to unravel when forward Santiago Trouet and coach Bobby Hurley were hit with technical fouls on the same possession.
Emmanuel Innocenti ended Gonzaga’s five-minute field goal drought with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc and former Arizona State guard Adam Miller came up with a few timely shots for Few’s team, knocking in consecutive 3’s that restored a 15-point lead for the visitors with about five minutes to play.
Graham Ike’s strong start to the season continued in Tempe, where the senior forward scored 20 points, tallied nine rebounds and consistently delivered at the free throw line. Ike made 12 of his 15 foul shots in a game where the Zags were 25 of 31 at the line.
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The charity stripe wasn’t as kind to the Sun Devils, who finished just 9 of 19, and weren’t any better from the field, where Gonzaga limited them to 21 of 58 (36%) and 10 of 30 (33%) from the 3-point line.
Grand Canyon transfer Tyon Grant-Foster made a strong statement in his return to the Phoenix area, scoring 14 points while hauling down 11 rebounds. Grant-Foster also had two blocks off the bench.
Miller’s ASU Homecoming didn’t start the way he would’ve liked, but the former Sun Devil guard finished with 10 points after making his two late 3’s, which came after the guard missed his first three looks from behind the arc.
Starting point guard Braeden Smith delivered nine assists for Gonzaga, but didn’t get on the scoresheet until he made 1 of 2 free throws with 34 seconds remaining in the second half. Huff added 11 points for Gonzaga before fouling out late in the second half.
ASU’s Trouet had a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double while Moe Odum, a former Pacific and Pepperdine point guard, had 12 points and seven assists for the Sun Devils.
The Zags (4-0) face another short turnaround, returning to the McCarthey Athletic Center for Monday’s game against Southern Utah (1-2). The game will tip off at 6 p.m. and air on KHQ/ESPN+.
First half
18:20 – ASU 5, GU 4: Zags guard Miller scores against his former team in the early going. Sun Devils took the first lead on a 3-pointer from Grbovic and answered an Innocenti layup with a jumper.
Game has started on ESPNU until the conclusion of Michigan-TCU.
15:37 – ASU 11, GU 6: Former Pepperdine and Pacific guard Moe Odum hits a 3-pointer after a steal to give the Sun Devils a 6-0 run at the first media timeout. Zags ball after the break.
11:52 – ASU 17, GU 14: Huff called for an off-ball foul at the U12 media timeout. Sun Devils maintain their lead, looking more physical and athletic in the early going.
ASU has 8-2 advantage on points off turnover and 7-4 edge in transition points.
Huff leading Zags with five points, Venters adds a 3-pointer off the bench.
8:29 – GU 22, ASU 20: Grant-Foster does a bit of everything to give the Zags the lead. He finds Warley for a layup in transition and the Sun Devils call timeout.
Grant-Foster has four points, four rebounds and two assists. His impact could be even better, having gone 2 of 4 from the free throw line. Zags have slowed the Sun Devils offense though, ASU shooting 38% from the field after a hot start.
6:32 – GU 29, ASU 20: Venters hits his second 3-pointer to give the Zags a 12-0 run and the Sun Devils call another timeout. Zags have taken over with ASU going cold from outside, now 4 of 13 from 3-point range.
3:56 – GU 36, ASU 25: Ford hits a 3-pointer and Grant-Foster turns it over as the Sun Devils try to claw back before halftime. Game was in danger of turning into a runaway with GU up 14 points.
Zags have a 9-0 scoring advantage on free throws. And have been far more efficient from the field (52 to 35% shooting).
Grant-Foster leading the way with eight points, six rebounds and two assists. Eight of nine Zags that have entered the game have scored.
Halftime
Gonzaga has overcome a hot start from Arizona State to lead 45-32 at halftime in Tempe, Arizona.
The Zags capped the half with a monster dunk by Graham Ike over two defenders. That emphasized what was a balanced effort, shooting 50% from the field and making 14 of 18 free throw attempts.
Arizona State led for nearly half of the first period, but went on a cold shooting streak and Gonzaga took over.
Ike leads GU with 11 points and five rebounds, Braden Huff has nine points and Tyon Grant-Foster adds eight points, eight rebounds and two assists.
Second half
15:59 – GU 47, ASU 37: Ike called for his third foul ahead of the U16 media timeout and heads to the bench.
Sun Devils score the first five points out of halftime to cut into the Zags lead before Huff gets a jumper to go. Zags just 1 of 7 from the field and 0-for-4 on 3-pointers since halftime.
14:40 – GU 49, ASU 40: Sun Devils block two shots in the paint and Odum knocks down a 3-pointer in transition to get the crowd back into the game. Sun Devils with an 8-4 edge in the second half, making things interesting.
11:37 – GU 51, ASU 44: Zags holding onto their lead despite an ugly offensive half, making 2 of 13 attempts from the field, going 0 of 6 on 3-pointers and committing three turnovers.
GU has maintained its strong defense, limiting ASU to 2 of its last 10 field goal attempts.
8:37 – GU 59, ASU 45: Technical foul totally swung momentum here. Trouet appeared to swear at Worley after making a block, ending his team’s takeaway with two points for the Zags. ASU coach Hurley was upset on the call and became more upset a few plays later after a missed foul on Ike. He was then called for another technical.
That all added up to an 8-0 GU run and a Sun Devils timeout. Total implosion as ASU was trying to come back.
7:40 – GU 59, ASU 48: Odum hits his fourth 3-pointer and Innocenti is called for traveling at the U8 media timeout.
One of the sloppiest offensive halves for Gonzaga in recent memory, having made 3 of 15 attempts from the field and 1 of 7 3-pointers to go with six turnovers. Seven free throws in the half keeping the Zags ahead as those two technical fouls loom large.
2:55 – GU 71, ASU 59: Ike hits a big jump hook and the Sun Devils turn it over at the U4 media timeout.
ASU has threatened for a comeback for almost all of the second half, but hasn’t put together the final push.
Miller made a couple of big 3s against his former team as the Zags have found a bit more life on offense down the stretch. Miller has 10 points, one of four Zags in double figures with Ike (20), Huff (11) and Grant-Foster (10).
0:59 – GU 76, ASU 61: Nice move on a layup by Grant-Foster, who throws down a dunk on the next Zags possession to put this one away. GU will improve to 4-0 with a true road win under its belt. We’ll be back with a full recap shortly.
Starting 5s
Gonzaga starters: Braeden Smith, Adam Miller, Emmanuel Innocenti, Braden Huff, Graham Ike.
ASU starters: Moe Odum, Bryce Ford, Andrija Grbović, Santiago Trouet, Massamba Diop.
Pregame
Gonzaga has looked convincing the past six days with blowout wins over Oklahoma and Creighton.
The No. 19 Bulldogs (3-0) can further cement themselves amongst college basketball’s elite with a win in their only true nonconference road game this season.
That opportunity comes tonight, as the Zags travel to Tempe, Ariz., to face the Arizona State Sun Devils (2-0) at Desert Financial Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
Early on Gonzaga has flashed defensive length and depth it may not have had in recent years. No more so than the second half against No. 23 Creighton on Tuesday, where GU used a 20-0 run to roll past the Blue Jays.
The Sun Devils cruised past outmatched opponents Southern Utah and Utah Tech, leaning on freshman forward Massamba Diop (16 points, 5.5 rebounds), who was a teammate at Real Madrid with Zags big man Ismaila Diagne.
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