Graham Ike scored 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds as No. 13 Gonzaga defeated Bucknell 86-65 Saturday night in a nonconference game at Spokane, Wash.
Ben Gregg came off the bench to score 15 points for the Bulldogs (9-3) and Nolan Hickman had 14, with those two players combining for seven 3-pointers. Point guard Ryan Nembhard added nine points, nine assists and six rebounds.
Noah Williamson scored 16 points and Josh Bascoe added 14 for the Bison (4-8), who took their sixth consecutive defeat. Jayden Williams put up 10 points.
Gonzaga shot 47.9 percent from the field (34 of 71) and was 12 of 35 (34.3 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc. Bucknell shot 40.7 percent (24 of 59) and 10 of 31 (32.3 percent) from long range.
The Bulldogs had a 41-34 rebounding advantage, and they outscored Bucknell 38-20 in the paint. Gonzaga forced 19 turnovers, outscoring the Bison 24-14 off giveaways.
Ike scored Gonzaga’s first nine points, capped by a 3-pointer, as the Bulldogs took a 9-3 lead. With Ike getting a breather on the bench, the Bison responded with a 9-0 run to pull ahead, with Williamson making three consecutive layups.
Gregg made a 3-pointer with 12:31 left in the half, the first Gonzaga basket by someone other with Ike, to pull the Bulldogs even. A second Gregg 3-pointer with 11:20 left in the half off a turnover put the Zags up 15-14, and they never trailed again.
Khalif Battle’s free throw with 5:07 remaining in the half gave the Bulldogs their first double-digit lead.
Elvin Edmonds IV’s 3-pointer pulled the Bison within 38-27 entering the half, but Gonzaga scored the first nine points after the intermission to pull away.
Each team has one game remaining before the start of conference play. The Bulldogs will face UCLA on Dec. 28 in the West Coast Hoops Showdown at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. The Bison play at Syracuse on Dec. 28.
–Field Level Media
