Zags give Gaels a Sweet Farewell To Spokane

Though a couple of mid-majors from small towns on the West Coast, Saint Mary’s & Gonzaga have become quite the giants. Over the last two decades they have come to blows in the WCC countless times, and sadly tonight was the last time in Spokane at the Kennel. Graham Ike's returned to lead the Zags to the 73-65 win. Yet again, this rivalry did not disappoint between the elite of the West.

Gonzaga, without Braden Huff(sadly starting to think for the season), did get back their other big in Graham Ike, and he more than made up for the absence of his other half in our usual 1–2 punch inside. Ike was the leading scorer of the game with ease, stepping up time & time again in both halves. The Zags, after a hot & cold first half in which their inability to stop fouling the Gaels put them down 4 at the break, sent Saint Mary’s to the line 16 times in the first 20 minutes.

Down by as many as 6 early in the second half after a couple of threes from the Gaels, defensive wizard Emmanuel Innocenti stepped up on the offensive end for the Zags, who had struggled to find their shooting to that point. Innocenti’s two threes jump-started his team to an 18–4 run as his teammates jumped aboard.

Of course, as always in a game between two of the best-coached teams in the nation, the Gaels didn’t go away. The Zags had the answer though, with huge defensive stops late and yet again Ike showing the nation he’s gonna be just fine.

This win for the Zags was huge, as it gives them a 2-game lead and the tiebreaker over the Gaels in the WCC standings for the coveted No. 1 seed in Vegas. More so, this game once again showed the versatility of this squad. The depth of different players showing up around Ike has been huge, and tonight it was Innocenti with 10 points. An unsung hero of the night has to be the youngster from Spain, Mario Saint-Supery, his first sight of the daunting Gaels defense, as he gave us 9 points & 5 assists while passing the eye test of being the guy in a big game.

One thought going forward that I’m sure is on the minds of all coaches & fans in Spokane is the free throws. The Zags, with another game under 70% from the line, is a concern that needs to be fixed before March hits if we want this team getting into the second week or beyond in the big dance.

Graham Ike being back tonight and giving us 30 is a great sign moving forward. Now, as we give a bittersweet goodbye to what has been one of the best West Coast rivalries in Spokane, let’s continue to close out the swan-song run of WCC play. Zags are 22-1, 10-0 as we head into February.