Normally one of the loudest venues in college basketball, the Viejas Arena was oddly quiet for much of Monday night’s anticipated contest between West Coast powerhouses No. 3 Gonzaga and San Diego State.

Much like how the Aztecs stunned everyone in the McCarthey Athletic Center last December, the Bulldogs marched into a hostile environment and came out of the other side with flying colors. Led by strong second-half performances from Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga outlasted San Diego State, 80-67, in a physical contest between recent Final Four finalists. The seniors combined for 32 of their team’s 40 second-half points to help hand the Aztecs their first home loss to a nonconference opponent since 2021.

Here are three takeaways from Monday’s win.

SUPER SENIORS

The Zags didn’t need much from either one of their Naismith Trophy watch list candidates to build a comfortable lead over the Aztecs early on. Ike picked up two quick fouls less than two minutes into the game, which forced the 6-foot-9 post to hit the bench earlier than he expected. Braden Huff came in and continued his hot start to the season, as he scored 10 points to lead the team at halftime.

Nembhard did a little bit of everything in the first half, finishing with seven points, five assists and three rebounds in 17 minutes. Though the second half, particularly the final 7 minutes, was when he turned things up a notch. As he masterfully worked the pick-and-roll to create just about any type of shot he wanted, Nembhard got to the teeth of the Aztecs’ defense time and time again for either a layup or to draw a foul. He also set up Ike nicely on the low block early in the second half to get the big man rolling for the final 20 minutes.

The Wyoming transfer was 0-5 in his career against the Aztecs entering Monday’s contest. Ike had a 20-point, 10-rebound outing in last season’s matchup in Spokane, though it appeared foul trouble might prevent him from making a significant impact on the outcome of the return game. Especially with the way Huff was able to energize the offense off the bench.

Instead, Ike wasted no time in getting right to work in the second half, as he scored six of the team’s first eight points and made his presence felt on the glass as well. He was no match for San Diego State’s smaller defenders, especially once redshirt freshman Magoon Gwath had to exit with five fouls after 14 minutes of play. The 7-footer still managed to record five blocks in his limited run against the Bulldogs, but the Aztecs couldn’t keep Ike out of the paint forever. 

Ike scored 20 of his team-high 23 points after halftime, while Nembhard scored 12 of his 19 points in the second half. Both applied relentless foul pressure down the stretch, as they combined to go 14-of-15 from the charity stripe.

LOTS OF WHISTLES

The fouls were racking up at a high rate for both sides on Monday, as Gonzaga and San Diego State combined for 14 personal fouls to just 11 made field goals through the first 10 minutes of play. The Aztecs entered the bonus at the 13:37 mark after Ben Gregg picked up his second personal, a few minutes before Khalif Battle was called for his second personal on an offensive charge taken by Miles Byrd, who played despite an ankle injury that kept him out of the team’s last game.

Despite key players having to sit with foul trouble, the whistles began to even out toward the end of the first half. The Bulldogs went 12-of-15 from the charity stripe with six different players attempting at least two free throws before halftime, which helped them build a 40-31 advantage in light of going 12-of-29 (41.4%) from the field.

On a night where shots weren’t falling consistently, the Zags found a way to win comfortably by creating immense foul pressure throughout the night, albeit on the road without a favorable whistle on their side. 

MORE OF THIS TO COME

Monday’s matchup between two of the five winningest schools over the past five seasons was essentially a sneak peek at a new rivalry that’s set to take shape once the reconstituted Pac-12 becomes official in 2026. The Bulldogs and Aztecs are set to feature as the conference’s marquee brands in men’s college basketball, given their successes in the NCAA Tournament and consistency under their respective head coaches. 

One can only hope that in the future, conference games between Gonzaga and San Diego State will be played at on-campus arenas. The McCarthey Athletic and the Viejas Arena are two of the more intimidating environments in the country that are backed by two wild student sections in The Kennel Club and The Show. It’s no wonder the Zags and Aztecs boast two of the five best home-winning percentages over the last five seasons.

Even better, both have stolen one from each other on their home court in each of the past two seasons.

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