Recap and highlights: No. 7 Gonzaga avoids major upset, rallies past Seattle U 80-72 in overtime
Tyon Grant-Foster and Graham Ike didn’t start for seventh-ranked Gonzaga on Friday, but they were happy to play the role of finisher in a tense 80-72 overtime victory over Seattle U at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
Ike scored eight consecutive points down the stretch to help Gonzaga erase a 13-point deficit in the second half and Grant-Foster came up with key plays on both ends in the final moments of regulation and overtime to help the Zags seal a victory that looked unlikely for long stretches.
After Ike’s scoring flurry and a pair of Braeden Smith free throws helped Gonzaga tie the score late, Grant-Foster came up with a key block on Seattle U’s Brayden Maldonado with less than two seconds remaining. Maldonado, this time face-guarded by Jalen Warley, misfired on another 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to an extra period.
Grant-Foster, who finished with 19 points and a career-high five blocks. continued to deliver in overtime, scoring eight of the team’s 15 points without missing a shot to help the Zags pull away. Ike, who totaled 24 points and 10 rebounds, added four more points during the extra period.
GU was buoyed much of the way by junior forward Braden Huff, who had his second-highest scoring game of the season, totaling 28 points on 11 of 14 shooting with six rebounds.
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Huff, Ike and Tyon Grant-Foster accounted for all 29 of Gonzaga’s points in the first half and were the only Zags to score until Smith connected on a 3-pointer nearly four minutes into the second half.
Huff scored the first nine points for Gonzaga and 13 of the team’s 29 in the first half. The junior forward converted on three field goals inside the first two minutes, including a 3-pointer, to help establish a 7-0 lead.
Former GU forward Junseok Yeo buried a 3-pointer to put Seattle U in the scoring column and Huff responded with a close-range shot at the other end to make it 9-3. That’s when things turned for the Zags.
Spurred by a 9-0 run, the Redhawks took their first lead at the 15-minute, 36-second mark, eventually went up by 11 points and took a 33-24 lead into the halftime break. It was just the second time all season the Zags have faced a double-digit deficit (Michigan) and matched their lowest point total in the first half of a game all season, tying the 29 points GU scored against the Wolverines at the Players Era Festival.
Yeo scored 10 points but finished 3 of 11 shooting in his return to Gonzaga. Maldonado led the Redhawks with 17 points on 6 of 16 shooting and 3 of 10 from the 3-point line.
The Zags (15-1, 3-0) face another short turnaround and return to the court Sunday for their first and only regular-season meeting with Loyola Marymount (10-5, 1-1).
First half
19:14 – GU 2, SU 0: Redhawks win the tip, but Heimbrodt misses his first shot from 3. Huff makes his first look on the other end to open the scoring.
15:36 – GU 9, SU 8: Huff started on a 7-0 run of his own and has all nine points for the Zags. Yeo and Christofilis made 3s to get right back in it though.
Ike checked in for GU after sitting for a couple of minutes. He missed his only attempt from the field. SU looking for shots outside and are 2 of 5 on 3s.
12:01 – SU 20, GU 12: Impressive 17-1 run by the Redhawks has the Zags on the ropes early. Seattle made six straight field goals and are 5 of 9 from 3 in the game. Christofilis leads with six points.
Zags looking for a spark, Ike made a layup to end the run. Some sloppy minutes from Saint-Supery with two misses, a foul and a turnover.
7:53 – SU 23, GU 14: Misses keep coming for Gonzaga, which is reeling at the U8 media timeout. Zags have not scored in 3:49 and are 1 of their last 7 from the field.
GU at least has tightened up on the defensive end and is holding SU to 1 of its last 9. Still, Zags need to find a spark. Huff has four of their six field goals and nine of 14 points.
2:33 – SU 33, GU 24: Gonzaga playing with more energy, but Seattle is matching it step for step. Redhawks have a 9-3 advantage on the offensive glass and have found an edge with seven 3-pointers. Christofilis leads with nine points at the U4 media timeout.
Zags looked for a spark off the bench through freshman forward Fogle. He got a block on the first play, but was rejected on a big dunk attempt and was later called for an offensive foul.
Ike picked up his production with seven points. Huff leads with 13.
Halftime
An inspired first half from Seattle U has the Redhawks leading Gonzaga 37-29 at McCarthey Athletic Center.
Seattle U has five more rebounds and six more on the offensive glass. The Redhawks also have hit seven 3-pointers and have scored 11 points off turnovers.
Just three Gonzaga players got on the score sheet, led by Braden Huff (13 points), Graham Ike (nine) and Tyon Grant-Foster (7). The Zags are shooting 44% from the field and 27% on 3-pointers.
Second half
16:38 – SU 44, GU 31: Heimbrodt makes a layup after a block and Seattle U picks right back up where it left off with a 7-2 run. Gonzaga calls timeout.
15:41 – SU 44, GU 35: Huff is fouled at the U16 minute timeout and GU will shoot free throws after the break. Smith made a 3-pointer to give the Zags some momentum on the previous possession. He’s the fourth Zag to score tonight.
11:25 – SU 52, GU 41: Redhawks extend their lead again to their highest total of the game before Huff closes it back to 11 at the U12 media timeout. Zags have missed a lot of close looks tonight – the latest a transition layup from Venters.
Ex-Zag Yeo has nine points in his return to the Kennel, which would be Gonzaga’s third-highest scorer. Zags have had just four players score, while Seattle has nine, all but one player to enter the game.
7:46 – SU 59, GU 49: Miller makes a jumper and Saint-Supery is called for a foul at the U8 media timeout to the displeasure of the Kennel crowd.
Bulldogs going to need to find something quickly to avoid one of the biggest upset losses in some time. Seattle U was a 23.5-point underdog before the game.
6:13 – SU 59, GU 53: Ike leads a quick 6-0 run with three Seattle U turnovers and the Redhawks call timeout. Big swing for the Zags as they try and claw back.
3:51 – SU 63, GU 59: Dan called for an offensive foul and the Zags have possession on the other side of the U4 media timeout looking to made it a one-score game. Zags have made their last five field goal attempts.
0:59 – SU 64, GU 63: Huff and Grant-Foster make back-to-back layups and Gonzaga calls timeout after cutting the lead to one.
Huff has 25 points, making 10 of 13 attempts from the field.
0:31 – SU 65, GU 63: Yeo makes 1 of 2 free throw attempts and the Zags call timeout after crossing midcourt. Everything coming down to this for GU.
0:16 – SU 65, GU 65: Smith makes both free throws to tie the score for the first time since early in the first half and Seattle U calls timeout.
0:00 – SU 65, GU 65: Maldonado misses two 3-pointers in the final seconds and we’re headed to overtime. Impressive rally by the Zags to tie it after trailing for most of the evening.
Overtime
3:35 – SU 68, GU 66: Zags briefly take the lead, but Maldonado converts a 3-point play on the other end to put the Redhawks back in front.
1:23 – GU 72, SU 68: Grant-Foster makes consecutive inside shots to give GU a 6-0 run and Seattle U calls timeout. Grant-Foster up to 15 points. Grant-Foster, Huff (28 points) and Ike (20) have all but nine points for GU tonight.
0:24 – GU 76, SU 72: Ike heading to the free throw line and it looks like Gonzaga is going to hold on here, avoiding a major upset against the Redhawks.
Starting 5s
Graham Ike not in the starting lineup for the Zags tonight. Coach Mark Few was not pleased with his technical foul during Tuesday’s win over San Diego.
Gonzaga: Braeden Smith, Jalen Warley, Steele Venters, Emmanuel Innocenti and Braden Huff.
Seattle U: Brayden Maldonado, Maleek Arington, Will Heimbrodt, Jun Seok Yeo and Austin Maurer.
Pregame
The Gonzaga men’s basketball team is ready to host its new West Coast Conference neighbor.
The No. 7 Zags (14-1, 2-0 WCC) welcome the Seattle U Redhawks (12-3, 1-1) to McCarthey Athletic Center for a 6 p.m. tipoff tonight on KHQ. The two teams are sharing a conference for one season before GU leaves for the Pac-12.
Seattle U has enjoyed a solid start to its fifth season under coach Chris Victor – especially against northwest opponents – knocking off Washington, Washington State and Eastern Washington in previous games.
Gonzaga will be wary ahead of its first home conference game of the season, following a 99-93 road win at San Diego, where the Zags allowed an 11-0 run in the final minute.
Follow this thread for updates throughout the evening.
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