The Cougs took a tough 30 point loss to No. 12 Gonzaga Tuesday night in Spokane. Gonzaga’s defensive pressure and transition offense over powered the Cougs.

Gonzaga (24-2, 12-1 West Coast Conference) shot 54.8 percent from the field and held Washington State (11-16, 6-8 WCC) to 39.1 percent shooting. The Cougars struggled from beyond the arc, finishing just 5-for-24 from 3-point range. WSU committed 21 turnovers. Gonzaga also won the rebounding battle 37-21 and outscored WSU in the paint while maintaining a steady tempo throughout the game. After the matchup, head coach David Riley expressed his disappointment in the performance. 

“We really unfortunately took a step back and it’s disappointing where we were trying to attack on the first side and that doesn’t work against anyone, let alone a team with the athletes and length that Gonzaga has,” Riley said.

The Cougs had their lowest scoring-half of the season with 21 first-half points. Washington State showed better offense in the second half, shooting over 50 percent after the break, but the early deficit proved too large to overcome. Gonzaga extended its lead to as many as 39 points in the second half before closing out the 30-point victory.

Graham Ike led Gonzaga with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Davis Fogle added 17 points off the bench. Mario Saint-Supery and Adam Miller each contributed 11 points, giving Gonzaga balanced scoring across the lineup.

“We had a game plan for Ike and they diced it up and and they hit some cutters in the post and really kind of got us off balance and that got some other guys going,” Riley said.

For Washington State, Jerone Morton paced the Cougars with 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting and Rihards Vavers scored 14 points and had six rebounds. Eemeli Yalaho was held scoreless and committed five turnovers as Gonzaga’s defense consistently closed off the Cougar offense. 

WSU will face Pacific at 6:30 pm next Wednesday in Beasley as they look to rebound after the tough loss.