Ike scores 23 and Nembhard has 19 to lead No. 3 Gonzaga to an 80-67 win against San Diego State

Gonzaga forward Graham Ike (13) is fouled by San Diego State forward Magoon Gwath during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Graham Ike bounced back from early foul trouble to score 20 of his 23 points in the second half, and Ryan Nembhard added 19 points and 10 assists as No. 3 Gonzaga ran past San Diego State 80-67 on Monday night in a showdown of future Pac-12 opponents.

Sixth man Braden Nuff had 10 points for Gonzaga (4-0), which was playing away from Spokane for the first time this season. The Zags avenged an 84-74 loss to SDSU last year, which snapped their 59-game nonconference winning streak.

Nick Boyd scored 23 points for the Aztecs (2-1), while BJ Davis had 15 and Wayne McKinney 11.

Both teams reached the Sweet 16 last season, the Zags for the ninth straight time.

Gonzaga will move from the West Coast Conference, where it has dominated for most of the last quarter century, into the reconstituted Pac-12 beginning in 2026. Gonzaga will become the eighth member along with holdovers Washington State and Oregon State, and fellow newcomers Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Utah State and Colorado State from the Mountain West.

Takeaways

Bulldogs: Ike was whistled for two fouls in the first 1:15 and was subbed out. He played only 5:32 in the first half before coming on strong after halftime.

Aztecs: Despite beating the Bulldogs in their previous two meetings, including 2017 in San Diego, the Aztecs were outmatched this time. They were coming off a 100-49 win against Occidental after opening with a 63-58 win over UC San Diego.

Key moment

Gonzaga outscored SDSU 8-2 in the opening 1:32 of the second half to push a nine-point halftime lead to 48-33. Ike scored the first five points, on a three-point play and a layup. Michael Ajai added a 3-pointer.

Key stats

Gonzaga made 27 of 31 free throws, with Ike hitting 9 of 11 and Nembhard 8 of 8.

Up Next

The Bulldogs host Long Beach State on Wednesday night. The Aztecs face No. 14 Creighton on Nov. 26 in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

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