SPOKANE, Wash. – In a dominating performance, the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs triumphed over Long Beach State with an impressive score of 84-41 on Wednesday night.
Graham Ike and Khalif Battle each contributed 15 points to the victory, showcasing their offensive prowess throughout the game. Additionally, Ryan Nembhard chipped in with 10 points and a notable seven assists as the Bulldogs improved to a flawless 5-0 record, marking their best start since the 2021-22 season.

Gonzaga’s depth was evident, with their bench scoring a total of 32 points. Braden Huff led the reserves with 12 points while Dusty Stromer added 10. Impressively, Huff has managed to score in double figures in every game so far this season, solidifying his role as a key contributor.
For Long Beach State, the standout player was Devin Askew, who managed to score 12 points but fell short of his usual output, which averaged 17.3 points per game prior to this encounter.

Looking at the key points of the game, Gonzaga has consistently reached at least 80 points in each matchup. However, their shooting from beyond the arc has varied, with better than 40% accuracy on two occasions, while they struggled with less than 35% in the other three games.
Meanwhile, Long Beach State, under the leadership of first-year coach Chris Acker, is currently facing challenges with a record of 1-4, marking their poorest start since the 2020-21 season. During the game against Gonzaga, the team found it difficult to establish a rhythm offensively, ending with a shooting percentage of just 31.5% from the field and an incredibly low 10% from three-point territory.

A pivotal moment in the game came when Battle hit a three-pointer with 7:40 remaining before halftime, extending Gonzaga’s lead to a significant 33-9. At that point, Long Beach State struggled tremendously, failing to secure an offensive rebound until the 9:15 mark in the first half.
Notable statistics from the game include Askew’s struggle from beyond the arc, where he managed only 2 successful shots out of 6 attempts. Furthermore, the rest of the Long Beach State team was unable to make any of their 14 attempts from three-point range, including junior transfer TJ Wainwright, who entered the game with a decent shooting percentage from outside but missed all six of his attempts.

Looking ahead, Gonzaga will next travel to the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, where they will face West Virginia on Wednesday. Long Beach State, on the other hand, is set to host Fresno State this upcoming Saturday.