Three takeaways: Gonzaga’s Jalen Warley, Graham Ike step up with Braden Huff sidelined

Three takeaways at the buzzer from Gonzaga’s 86-65 West Coast Conference win over Washington State on Thursday at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman.

Warley shines in Huff’s absence

Jalen Warley, not surprisingly, got the start in place of Braden Huff, who is sidelined for four to eight weeks with a left knee injury suffered earlier this week in practice.

Warley, not surprisingly, did a little of everything in the first half, spurring GU to a 43-33 lead at the break. The 6-foot-7, 205-pound senior forward packed the stat sheet with 11 points (5 of 6 from the field), three rebounds (all on the offensive glass), three steals, two blocks and two assists.

Warley was a pest defensively, converting one of his steals into a layup and another with an assist. He drew a charging foul on Simon Hildebrandt, whose 12 points off the bench kept WSU within range in the first half.

Minus Huff, Graham Ike logged 19 first-half minutes. He scored eight points in the final 5:30. Davis Fogle played 13 minutes, including five in the first half. He scored five points and hit a jumper in the lane for GU’s final points of the first half.

The Zags, despite Huff’s absence, still operated inside-outside. They leaned on Ike in the paint, dominated the offensive boards and got out in transition. They posted a 52-12 edge in paint points.

Warley cooled off in the second half after picking up his third foul with 16:46 remaining and sat out for an extended period.

Ike finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds for his 11th double-double. He added five assists in 36 minutes, one shy of his season high 37 versus Oregon.

Interesting night for GU’s defense

The Zags’ defense fluctuated between very good and inattentive in the first half. GU rattled off 15 consecutive points while holding the Cougars scoreless for just over six minutes.

WSU broke the drought in hurry. Hildebrandt buried three straight 3-pointers to bring the Cougars within 15-14. At one point, WSU made nine consecutive field goals, including seven 3-pointers. The Cougars then missed nine of their next 10 shots as Gonzaga built a 10-point halftime lead.

Gonzaga was active defensively, turning 10 WSU turnovers into 14 points in the opening half. The Zags’ lead grew to 63-44 with 11:25 remaining, thanks to another six points off Cougar turnovers.

The Cougars relied heavily on the 3, hitting 13 of 28, but shot just 40.4% overall. Their 17 turnovers led to 27 GU points.

Boarded up

One of the biggest keys to Gonzaga’s 11th straight win: rebounding.

Gonzaga punished WSU on the boards for the first 30 minutes or so. GU’s edge was 18-10, including 8-2 offensively, in the opening half. The margin widened in the second half. The Zags collected 15 offensive boards and had a 17-0 advantage in second-chance points until Hildebrand connected on a four-point play with 9:57 remaining.

The final numbers: Gonzaga 43-29, 17-10 offensively and a 19-4 advantage in second-chance points. Tyon Grant-Foster, Emmanuel Innocenti and Adam Miller each grabbed five rebounds and Warley and Braeden Smith both had four to supplement Ike’s team-high 11.