Gonzaga earned a decisive victory over Loyola Marymount on Thursday night, with Khalif Battle leading the Bulldogs with an impressive 24 points, resulting in a final score of 73-53.

Battle also made significant contributions in other areas, pulling down six rebounds, helping Gonzaga to improve their season record to 17-7 and 8-3 in the West Coast Conference. Ryan Nembhard played a crucial role as well, scoring 15 points while assisting his teammates with nine assists. Braden Huff added 14 points to the Bulldogs’ efforts, shooting well with a field goal accuracy of 60%, making six of ten attempts, and hitting two of three from the free-throw line.

On the other side, Caleb Stone-Carrawell was the standout player for the Lions, scoring 20 points. Jevon Porter contributed significantly with 15 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, while Jan Vide chipped in with nine points. This loss halted Loyola Marymount’s five-game winning streak, serving as a challenging setback for the team, which holds a record of 14-9 and 6-5 in conference play.

The match was tightly contested in the first half, with Gonzaga leading by a slim margin of three points at halftime, 27-24. Khalif Battle was the scoring leader for Gonzaga during the first half with eight points. However, he exploded for 16 points in the second half, playing a pivotal role as Gonzaga outscored Loyola Marymount 46-29 in that period to ensure their victory.

Looking ahead, both teams are set to return to the court on Saturday. Gonzaga will travel to face Pacific, while Loyola Marymount is scheduled to host San Francisco in their upcoming match.