Nolan Hickman and Anton Watson lead Gonzaga past Baylor in closed-door scrimmage

The Zags and Bears faced off without media or fans in attendance

The Gonzaga men's basketball team passed its first test of the season with an 81-78 victory over Baylor in a closed-door scrimmage in Phoenix, Arizona. 

The No. 11 Zags were ahead for most of the contest and shot 50% from the field against their first real opponents. The 20th-ranked Bears were held to a 38.5% clip. 

Gonzaga featured many of its newcomers, but it was returning starters Nolan Hickman and Anton Watson who led the team in scoring with 17 points apiece.

Hickman shot 6-for-12 overall and 2-for-5 on 3-pointers, while also tallying six rebounds, two assists and one steal in 34 minutes. 

Gonzaga to the Big 12 very much alive

Watson did all of his damage inside the arc, going 5-for-8 from the field. The longest-tenured Zag also registered eight rebounds, three assists, five steals and two blocks in 31 minutes. 

Ryan Nembhard, who transferred to Gonzaga from Creighton, was the only player from either team to play all 40 minutes of the game. The 6-foot-1 guard finished with 12 points, seven assists, three rebounds and five steals. 

Jayden Nunn was Baylor's top scorer with 16 points, to go along with five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 28 minutes. Ja'Kobe Walker contributed 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 27 minutes. 

Nunn and Walker were the primary offensive initiators for the Bears, as the rest of the team made a combined 9-for-42 shots from the field. 

Gonzaga relied on a more balanced approach, with five players scoring in double digits. Steele Venters and Graham Ike poured in 12 points and 11 points, respectively. 

Although Baylor's bench outscored Gonzaga's second unit 34-12, part of it was due to head coach Mark Few utilizing a smaller rotation and giving his starters more minutes. 

Ben Gregg, who had the most playing time among Gonzaga's reserves, finished with eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block in 16 minutes. Braden Huff delivered four points off the bench, while Dusty Stromer and Jun Seok Yeo each missed one field goal attempt and had zero points. 

If the win counted, it would mark the first time Gonzaga has defeated Baylor since 2019. The Bears have bested the Zags in their last two meetings, most recently winning 64-63 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, last season. Baylor also secured a victory over Gonzaga in the 2021 NCAA Tournament championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Gonzaga will host Lewis-Clarke State in an exhibition on Friday at 6 p.m. before its season opener against Yale on Nov. 10. 

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