Gonzaga Nation

Nolan Hickman leads Gonzaga over Washington State: Game recap, analysis

Hickman knocked down four 3-pointers for the second consecutive game

Gonzaga Nation Staff

Gonzaga senior guard Nolan Hickman.
Gonzaga senior guard Nolan Hickman. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford
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Nolan Hickman scored 23 points to lead the Gonzaga Bulldogs (21-7, 12-3) to an 84-63 West Coast Conference road victory over Washington State on Wednesday night.

Gonzaga's fifth consecutive win sets up a showdown with Saint Mary's (23-4, 13-1) on Saturday in Spokane. The Zags need to beat the Gaels and hope they stumble in one of their remaining games in order to catch them for the WCC title.

The Zags started slow against Washington State, falling behind 8-2 before turning up their defensive intensity. Sparked by Nolan Hickman and Dusty Stromer, Gonzaga went on a 27-9 run over the final 7:15 of the first half to take command of the game.

Graham Ike had 17 points and 13 rebounds and Gonzaga's bench scored 30 points, led by Michael Ajayi (12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Braden Huff (11 points).

LeJuan Watts led Washington State (16-12, 6-9) with 19 points. Read our full game recap below.

SECOND HALF RECAP

Gonzaga 84, Washington State 63, final: Gonzaga takes care of business on a snowy night in Pullman. Nolan Hickman goes 4-of-5 from downtown one game after going 4-of-6. If he shoots like that, watch out.

Hickman raining 3s! Nolan Hickman drills two more 3-pointers to get Gonzaga's offense back on track. Hickman leads all scorers with 23 points and is 4-of-5 from downtown. Gonzaga leads 74-53 with 4:00 to play.

Zags have gone cold: Gonzaga has only scored 16 points in the second half on 40% shooting. They've also turned the ball over 5 times. Gonzaga leads 66-50 with 6:38 left.

Gonzaga 66, Washington State 50, 8:32 left: The Cougars go on a 6-0 run and Mark Few calls timeout.

Gonzaga 61, Washington State 42, 12:50 left: Nolan Hickman is having another big game on the offensive end with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

Gonzaga's defensive depth: With Michael Ajayi's ability to guard four positions, Mark Few can put lineups on the floor where the Zags can switch every screen and not get put into a mismatch. Their defensive versatility is a huge advantage and will be a problem for opponents in the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga leads 57-34 with 16:03 left.

Nembhard scores: Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard scores his first points of the game just over one minute into the second half. The Zags lead 52-28.

FIRST HALF RECAP

Gonzaga 50, Washington State 28, halftime: Believe it or not, the Cougars started this game on an 8-2 run. The Bulldogs flipped a switch after the first TV timeout and completely dominated the final 15 minutes of the half. Gonzaga's bench has scored 21 points, led by Braden Huff with 9. Nolan Hickman leads the Zags with 12 points and Graham Ike has 10.

Gonzaga 43, Washington State 24, 1:55 left: The Bulldogs are playing suffocating defense. They're forcing tough, contested shots and keeping the Cougars out of the paint. Washington State is shooting 31% from the field (9-of-29) and this game is quickly getting away from them.

Gonzaga's depth a factor: This is arguably the deepest roster Mark Few has ever had, and it's showing tonight. The Zags have 17 bench points, to 0 for WSU. Gonzaga leads 33-21 with 5:00 to play.

Dusty Stromer sighting! Gonzaga's sophomore guard checks in for Ben Gregg and immediately drills back-to-back 3-pointers. The Zags are showing off their depth. Gonzaga 28, Washington State 19, 6:51 left

Ben Gregg foul trouble: Gregg picks up his second foul on a charge with 8:29 left and goes to the bench. Gregg has 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block and 1 assist.

Gonzaga 20, Washington State 12, 10:20 left: Braden Huff comes off the bench to score 9 quick points to give the Zags a huge lift. The Bulldogs are 0-of-5 from the 3-point line, but they are outscoring the Cougars 16-6 in the paint.

Michael Ajayi foul trouble: Ajayi picked up two quick fouls off the bench ... and went right back to his padded seat.

Ben Gregg sparks run: Gregg has been Gonzaga's heartbeat since Mark Few inserted him into the starting lineup last season. He converts an and-one to get the Zags going. Gregg has 5 early points. 11-8 Gonzaga with 13:15 to play.

First sellout in 15 years: Beasley Coliseum, on the campus of Washington State, is at capacity for this game (12,058 fans). It's the Cougars first sellout since 2010.

Washington State 8, Gonzaga 4, 15:23 left: As ready to play as Gonzaga looked against Pepperdine on Saturday, they are on the opposite end of the spectrum to start this game. Airballs, missed defensive assignments, sloppy passes ... it has been an ugly start for the Zags. Graham Ike did have a nice block, though.

PREGAME UPDATES

The Zags held a shootaround in Beasley Coliseum earlier Wednesday to get a feel for the arena. The last time Gonzaga played in Pullman was December 2015 when Domantas Sabonis was a sophomore.

Tipoff is scheduled for just after 6 p.m.

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Gonzaga Nation Staff
GONZAGA NATION STAFF

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