No. 7 Gonzaga routs Pepperdine 96-56 in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Reserve Tyon Grant-Foster had 18 points and four blocks, and Braeden Smith and Davis Fogle scored 15 points each to lead No. 7 Gonzaga to a 96-56 victory over Pepperdine in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams Sunday night.

Gonzaga (13-1), in its final season in the West Coast Conference before moving to the Pac-12 next season, displayed the same dominance that helped it win 26 WCC titles. The Bulldogs seemingly dunked and scored at will in winning their sixth straight game since their only loss of the season, against Michigan on November 26.

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The Bulldogs have a 50-game winning streak against the Waves (5-9, 0-1), who were short of 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward Braden Huff, forward Graham Ike and Co. Huff, who leads the WCC with 19.1 points per game, had 10 points, three rebounds and four assists.

Ike had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Ike, who ranks third in WCC scoring (17.0) and second in rebounding (8.3), reached 1,000 career rebounds on Sunday. He needed five before the game and reached the milestone in the first half. He is the only active Division I player with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career.

Gonzaga pulled away midway through the first half with an 18-0 run. Meanwhile, Pepperdine endured a 5:17 scoreless drought, which ended with a pair of free throws from Styles Phipps.

Gonzaga was tough on both ends of the floor. During a first-half series, Adam Miller blocked Aaron Clark’s shot, then Grant-Foster scored on an alley-oop dunk off an assist from Jalen Warleyon on the fast break.

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Clark, Pepperdine’s leading scorer, was held to four points on 2-of-14 shooting. Yonatan Levy led Pepperdine with 15 points.

To be continued

Gonzaga: At San Diego on Tuesday.

Pepperdine: Hosts Saint Mary’s on Tuesday.

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