What Gonzaga's Nolan Hickman and Graham Ike said after big win at Washington State

'I think we’re just starting to hit it off.'

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

The Gonzaga Bulldogs had a slow start in front of Washington State's first sellout crowd in nearly 15 years, but once they caught the Cougs, they ran out to a 22-point halftime lead. Nolan Hickman finished with 23 points while Graham Ike had 17 points and 13 rebounds. The bench chipped in nicely as well, with Braden Huff scoring nine straight points midway through the first half followed by Dusty Stromer hitting consecutive 3-pointers.

“It’s actually good having momentum around this time of year and I think we’re just starting to hit it off,” Hickman said after the Zags won their fifth straight game, 84-63, at Washington State.

If the Bulldogs are to win the West Coast Conference regular-season title, they need to keep up that momentum going into a huge Senior Night showdown against conference leader Saint Mary’s on Saturday night at the Kennel. They trail the Gaels by two games with three to play.

“We’ve got a tough schedule coming up, tough games coming up, but I think this is what we need heading into March and I think my guys are going to be more than capable of pulling everything off,” said Hickman, who was 4 of 5 on 3-point shots.

Here are the highlights from the postgame news conference.

Hickman on rebounding from a slow start against the Cougs

“Honestly, my teammates have just been finding me. I’ve been in the right spots, obviously, and I’ve just been trying to knock them down. Every shot I take, I shoot it to make it.”

Hickman on his second strong performance against WSU this season

“I wouldn’t say it’s as much about the matchup. It’s just that I’m open, so just shoot it and the rim’s wide for me right now so I can’t complain about that.” 

Hickman on the bench production

“It was much-needed, man. Dusty coming in and hitting some big 3’s, that was much-needed, just to get us started, just to get us rolling. B-Huff, incredible numbers. He’s been doing that every game. It’s no surprise for us.”

Ike on the keys for Senior Night

“Rebounding. That’s a big focus, finishing off possessions, getting stops, just executing on the offensive end. It’s probably going to be an emotional night on Saturday but we’ve just got to continue to keep the things that we cherish at hand. We’re trying to put ourselves in the best position to win the league. That’s the goal, to win the game, honestly.”

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MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Mark Few said after Gonzaga’s win at Washington State

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

• Gonzaga routs Washington State to set up Saint Mary's showdown: 3 takeaways

• Gonzaga gets brutal draw in updated NCAA tournament projections

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