Difference makers: Graham Ike, Nolan Hickman pace Gonzaga offense in rout of Portland

Graham Ike

The junior forward hadn’t posted a double-double since Gonzaga’s Feb. 3 loss to Saint Mary’s but had little trouble notching his seventh of the season against Portland. Often matched up against Portland’s smaller frontcourt, Ike scored 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line while matching his season high with 14 rebounds – six on the offensive glass. Ike, who’s scored at least 20 points in four consecutive games, also had two assists and one blocked shot.

Nolan Hickman

The hottest-shooting stretch of Hickman’s career continued at the Chiles Center, where the junior guard scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 4 of 8 from the 3-point line. Hickman, who also made four 3-pointers in each of Gonzaga’s last two West Coast Conference wins, has made at least three 3-pointers in 11 games this calendar year and he’s scored 16 or more points in the past four games. Hickman also had six rebounds and three assists in Gonzaga’s win.

Key moment

Ike opened with a dunk on the game’s first possession and Gonzaga never surrendered the lead, scoring 11 of the game’s first 14 points. The Bulldogs gave up three points inside the first 5 minutes – a 3-pointer from Tyler Robertson – while holding the Pilots to 1-of-7 shooting during that stretch. Four Gonzaga starters managed to score before the first media timeout. The Bulldogs built a 16-5 advantage at the 14:06 mark. Gonzaga had a 50-23 halftime lead when the teams met in Spokane on Feb. 7 and the Bulldogs entered this game’s halftime up 43-30.