No. 7 Gonzaga eyes 9th straight win as Loyola Marymount visits
The Bulldogs waged a major comeback to avoid a stunning upset in their last outing.
Gonzaga strives for a much better performance Sunday night when they face Loyola Marymount in West Coast Conference play at Spokane, Wash.
The Bulldogs (15-1) overcame a 13-point, second-half deficit on Friday before escaping with an 80-72 overtime victory over visiting Seattle University.
The victory was the eighth in a row for Gonzaga but it definitely wasn't easy.
"It was a gutty, gutty response," coach Mark Few said of the comeback. "Obviously, Seattle had us on the ropes for pretty much most of the game."
The Bulldogs were down 12 with 8 1/2 minutes left before making their move.
Gonzaga forced overtime on two free throws by Braeden Smith with 21 seconds remaining ,then took the lead for good on Tyon Grant-Foster's layup with 2:25 left in the extra session.
Braden Huff said the Zags fueled the comeback by stepping it up on the defensive end.
"Our defense, especially in the second half," Huff said. "I mean, they hit some tough ones, but it was really good."
Gonzaga also had defensive issues in its previous contest, when it watched a 21-point lead with 7:21 remaining dissolve into a 99-93 win over host San Diego.
Huff, Graham Ike and Grant-Foster -- Gonzaga's top three scorers -- combined for 71 of the team's 80 points against Seattle.
Huff scored 28 points to raise his conference-leading average to 18.8. He also became the 52nd player in Bulldogs history to join the 1,000-point club. He has 1,013 entering Sunday's game.
Ike collected 24 points and 10 rebounds to increase his averages to 16.8 points and a team-high 8.6 boards, while Grant-Foster scored 19 and stands third on the Zags with 12.1 ppg.
Gonzaga typically has few troubles against Loyola Marymount, but the Bulldogs were upset at home by the Lions 68-67 on Jan. 19, 2023. That snapped Gonzaga's 75-game home winning streak and was Loyola Marymount's first win in Spokane since 1991.
Still, the Zags have won the last five meetings and 34 of the past 36. The Bulldogs are 51-4 against the Lions during Few's tenure.
Loyola Marymount (10-6, 1-2) began a two-game swing in the state of Washington with a 78-76 loss to Washington State in Pullman on Friday night.
Jan Vide scored 21 of his career-high 28 points in the second half for the Lions. He made 10 of 17 shots from the field and also had three steals.
Ace Glass converted the decisive three-point play with 10.2 seconds left for Washington State. Vide attempted to force overtime but his 12-footer in the lane bounced off the rim.
The Lions are 4-6 since a 6-0 start. They lost their WCC opener at home to Saint Mary's 78-73 on Dec. 28 before beating visiting Pacific 80-71 two nights later.
"Nothing's easy. Our league's good," Lions coach Stan Johnson said after the victory over Pacific. "When you get a win, you've got to enjoy it."
Rodney Brown Jr. and Myron Amey Jr. share the team scoring lead at 14.9 ppg. Brown has a team-high 48 3-pointers and Amey has 47.
Vide chips in 14.2 ppg and a team-best 4.9 assists while Jalen Shelley (12.6) also scores in double digits.