Gregg scores 23 and No. 18 Gonzaga downs San Diego
Bulldogs improve to 13-4 on the season and 4-0 in the WCC
SPOKANE — Ben Gregg scored 23 points and Khalif Battle added 20 to lead No. 18 Gonzaga to its fourth straight win, 93-80 over San Diego on Wednesday night.
Graham Ike had a career-high 19 rebounds to go with 15 points for Gonzaga (13-4, 4-0 West Coast Conference). Ryan Nembhard added 11 points and as many assists, finishing with just two turnovers.
Kjay Bradley Jr. had 21 points to lead the Toreros (4-13, 1-3), who lost their third straight.
Gonzaga played without Michael Ajayi and Jun Seok Yeo, who were out with illness. Ajayi scored a season-high 15 points in his last game against Loyola Marymount.
Takeaways
Gonzaga: The Zags continue to roll through conference play. Even without Ajayi, coach Mark Few’s squad looked composed offensively and as fast-paced as ever, scoring 20 points in transition. Gonzaga outrebounded the Toreros 48-31.
San Diego: The Toreros are off to a rocky 1-3 start in conference after placing fifth in the WCC last season, the program’s highest placement since 2014-15. Freshman forward Kean Webb, making his first start, fouled out.
Key moment
Nembhard’s steal-and-score capped a six-point Gonzaga spurt that took just 44 seconds, putting them up double digits over the Toreros late in the first half.
Key stat
The Zags were aggressive offensively, earning them 33 trips to the free-throw line. Ike and Battle were the biggest benefactors, going a combined 19-of-22 from the line. Gonzaga also scored 36 points in the paint.
Up next
Gonzaga hosts state rival Washington State on Saturday night.
San Diego returns home to face Saint Mary’s on Saturday night.
SAN DIEGO (4-13)
Brooks 2-4 0-0 4, Pierre 5-12 0-0 13, Trouet 5-10 3-4 14, Webb 2-4 1-1 5, Duckett 3-9 3-4 10, Bradley 8-18 2-3 21, Clouet 3-9 4-4 13, Chammaa 0-1 0-0 0, Dahlke 0-0 0-0 0, Gaffney 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-67 13-16 80.
GONZAGA (13-4)
Gregg 9-12 2-3 23, Ike 1-5 13-15 15, Battle 5-12 6-7 20, Hickman 2-10 0-0 5, Nembhard 3-7 4-6 11, Stromer 2-8 0-0 5, Huff 5-7 1-1 11, Innocenti 1-1 1-1 3, Few 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-62 27-33 93.
Halftime — Gonzaga 47-34. 3-Point Goals — San Diego 11-33 (Clouet 3-7, Pierre 3-9, Bradley 3-10, Duckett 1-3, Trouet 1-3, Chammaa 0-1), Gonzaga 10-31 (Battle 4-9, Gregg 3-3, Nembhard 1-4, Stromer 1-5, Hickman 1-7, Huff 0-1, Ike 0-2). Fouled Out — Webb. Rebounds — San Diego 29 (Trouet 7), Gonzaga 43 (Ike 19). Assists — San Diego 7 (Bradley 4), Gonzaga 19 (Nembhard 11). Total Fouls — San Diego 24, Gonzaga 15.
