LAS VEGAS – Gonzaga has been a participant in every West Coast Conference Tournament championship game since 1998. Any doubts about that streak coming to an end Monday vanished shortly after tipoff at Orleans Arena.
Top-seeded Gonzaga scored the first points of its semifinal against fourth-seeded Oregon State, kept the Beavers off the scoreboard for more than five minutes to open the game and largely enjoyed a stress-free evening in Las Vegas, rolling to a 65-56 victory.
The result sends Gonzaga (28-3) to its 29th straight WCC championship, extending the longest streak in the country. The Zags will play the winner of Monday’s late semifinal between second-seeded Saint Mary’s (27-5) and third-seeded Santa Clara (25-4).
In its 39th and final WCC season, Gonzaga will be playing for its 23rd conference tournament championship. The Zags beat Santa Clara in both regular-season matchups and went 1-1 against the Gaels, losing the regular-season finale in Moraga.
Graham Ike led Gonzaga in scoring for the ninth straight game, totaling 24 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Ike had his 14th double-double of the season, adding 11 rebounds in the game.
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The Zags were balanced otherwise, getting nine points from freshman Davis Fogle, eight from Tyon Grant-Foster and seven apiece from Braeden Smith and Adam Miller.
Jalen Warley returned to Gonzaga’s starting lineup after missing the last two games with a quad contusion. The senior wing scored four points and added three rebounds in 22 minutes.
Monday’s semifinal won’t go down as Gonzaga’s finest offensive outing of the year and roughly 2½ minutes passed before point guard Mario Saint-Supery put the Zags on the board with a driving layup.
It took even longer for OSU, which missed its first eight shots from the field and didn’t score until Dez White knocked down a pull-up jumper at the 14-minute, 52-second mark.
The Beavers were contained to single figures for the first 12 minutes of Monday’s game and gave up multiple scoring runs, including a 10-0 first-half run that transformed an 11-6 lead into a 21-6 advantage with under nine minutes to play the opening frame.
OSU, which was contained to nine 2-pointers in an 81-61 loss to Gonzaga last month, opened 0 of 9 from the field and finished 19 of 56 and 6 of 25 from the 3-point line. The Zags finished with a 19-10 advantage in points off turnovers and outscored the Beavers 38-24 in points in the paint.
The Beavers were led in scoring by 6-foot-11 forward Jorge Diaz Graham, who had 12 points on 4 of 7 from the field and 2 of 4 from the 3-point line. Diaz Graham also led OSU with nine rebounds.
Barring a postseason invitation, the Beavers played their final game under 12th-year coach and Ferris High graduate Wayne Tinkle, who was terminated by OSU on Feb. 26.
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) hugs guard Braeden Smith (3) late during the second half of a WCC Tournament men’s semifinal basketball game against the Oregon State Beavers on Monday, Mar 9, 2026, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The Gonzaga Bulldogs won the game 65-56. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
First half
15:24 - GU 4, OSU 0: Gonzaga’s defense is smothering Oregon State early.
The Beavers are 0 for 8 from the field.
11:15 - GU 10, OSU 6: Graham Ike leads Gonzaga with four points.
The Zags are holding the Beavers to 20% shooting so far.
10:15 - GU 17, OSU 6: Quick 7-0 run has Gonzaga up double digits.
3:18 - GU 32, OSU 19: Adam Miller makes a 3-pointer from the top of the key and then finds Jalen Warley for an alley-oop on the next possession.
Halftime
Adam Miller hits a mid-range jumper as the half expires, giving Gonzaga a 38-24 lead over Oregon State in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals.
Ike leads all scorers with 12 points. Miller has added seven.
Josiah Lake II has paced the Beavers with eight points, but Oregon State is shooting 29% from the field to Gonzaga’s 54%.
The Beavers earned a bye into the quarterfinals after finishing fourth in the league. The Zags won their lone matchup with the Beavers this season, 81-61 in Corvallis.
Graham Ike, the WCC Player of the Year, played all but one minute during the last matchup with Oregon State and scored 35 points in the comfortable win.
A win Monday will set up a championship appearance against either Saint Mary’s or Santa Clara.
Game preview
More on the Zags
LAS VEGAS – Gonzaga has been a participant in every West Coast Conference Tournament championship game since 1998. Any doubts about that streak coming to an end Monday vanished shortly after tipoff at Orleans Arena.
Top-seeded Gonzaga scored the first points of its semifinal against fourth-seeded Oregon State, kept the Beavers off the scoreboard for more than five minutes to open the game and largely enjoyed a stress-free evening in Las Vegas, rolling to a 65-56 victory.
The result sends Gonzaga (28-3) to its 29th straight WCC championship, extending the longest streak in the country. The Zags will play the winner of Monday’s late semifinal between second-seeded Saint Mary’s (27-5) and third-seeded Santa Clara (25-4).
In its 39th and final WCC season, Gonzaga will be playing for its 23rd conference tournament championship. The Zags beat Santa Clara in both regular-season matchups and went 1-1 against the Gaels, losing the regular-season finale in Moraga.
Graham Ike led Gonzaga in scoring for the ninth straight game, totaling 24 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Ike had his 14th double-double of the season, adding 11 rebounds in the game.
The Zags were balanced otherwise, getting nine points from freshman Davis Fogle, eight from Tyon Grant-Foster and seven apiece from Braeden Smith and Adam Miller.
Jalen Warley returned to Gonzaga’s starting lineup after missing the last two games with a quad contusion. The senior wing scored four points and added three rebounds in 22 minutes.
Monday’s semifinal won’t go down as Gonzaga’s finest offensive outing of the year and roughly 2½ minutes passed before point guard Mario Saint-Supery put the Zags on the board with a driving layup.
It took even longer for OSU, which missed its first eight shots from the field and didn’t score until Dez White knocked down a pull-up jumper at the 14-minute, 52-second mark.
The Beavers were contained to single figures for the first 12 minutes of Monday’s game and gave up multiple scoring runs, including a 10-0 first-half run that transformed an 11-6 lead into a 21-6 advantage with under nine minutes to play the opening frame.
OSU, which was contained to nine 2-pointers in an 81-61 loss to Gonzaga last month, opened 0 of 9 from the field and finished 19 of 56 and 6 of 25 from the 3-point line. The Zags finished with a 19-10 advantage in points off turnovers and outscored the Beavers 38-24 in points in the paint.
The Beavers were led in scoring by 6-foot-11 forward Jorge Diaz Graham, who had 12 points on 4 of 7 from the field and 2 of 4 from the 3-point line. Diaz Graham also led OSU with nine rebounds.
Barring a postseason invitation, the Beavers played their final game under 12th-year coach and Ferris High graduate Wayne Tinkle, who was terminated by OSU on Feb. 26.
