MALIBU, Calif. — Tyon Grant-Foster made a significant impact off the bench, leading all scorers with 18 points as No. 7 Gonzaga decisively defeated Pepperdine 96-56 to commence their West Coast Conference campaign. Davis Fogle and Braeden Smith also contributed with 15 points each, while Graham Ike notched 13 points and secured 10 rebounds, marking a milestone in his career by surpassing 1,000 rebounds. This victory extends Gonzaga’s remarkable streak to 50 consecutive wins against Pepperdine and 23 straight at Firestone Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs started strong, launching into a 9-0 run right from the opening whistle. Their lead ballooned to as much as 40 points during the game, showcasing their dominance as they never relinquished the lead, keeping the Waves at bay.
Braden Huff joined the double-digit scorers with 10 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting in merely 27 minutes of play. Smith complemented his scoring with eight assists and five rebounds, contributing to the team’s solid overall performance.
Gonzaga exhibited an impressive shooting display, hitting 54% of their shots from the field and 45% from three-point range, while also accumulating 50 points in the paint to facilitate their large margin of victory.
Defensively, Gonzaga was equally formidable, restricting Pepperdine to just 34% shooting overall and 26% from beyond the arc. The Zags capitalized on 14 turnovers forced against the Waves, translating those into 24 points while limiting their own turnovers to just nine.
On Pepperdine’s side, only two players reached double figures; Yonatan Levy led with 15 points, followed by Javon Cooley, who contributed 13 points off the bench.
This win represents Gonzaga’s 30th consecutive opening victory in West Coast Conference play, a notable statistic as the Bulldogs gear up for what will be their final season in the WCC before transitioning to the Pac-12 next season. With this victory, Gonzaga improves to 13-1 overall and begins conference play at 1-0. The Bulldogs will look to extend their winning streak on Tuesday against San Diego (6-7, 1-0) at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, with the game set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. PT, broadcasted on NonStop Local KHQ and streaming on SWXLocalSports.com.