Buzzer breakdown: The Ismaila Diagne game, Santa Clara’s 3-point shooting disappears and Emmanuel Innocenti out with illness
Gonzaga Bulldogs center Ismaila Diagne (24) celebrates after defeating the Santa Clara Broncos during the second half of a college basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, Calif. Gonzaga won the game 95-76. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Here are three observations from Gonzaga’s 95-76 win over Santa Clara on Tuesday at the Leavey Center.
Diagne comes up big
Freshman center Ismaila Diagne provided a big lift off the bench with posts Graham Ike and Braden Huff in foul trouble. Shortly after entering in the first half, Diagne scored on a dunk and blocked a shot at the defensive end.
He had four points and two rebounds at half as Gonzaga rallied to take a 44-42 lead. The 7-footer from Senegal was called on again after Ike was whistled for his fourth foul with 16:20 remaining. Diagne contributed a three-point play with 13:28 remaining to boost GU’s lead to 64-52.
Diagne had just one blocked shot, but his size and length caused numerous errant shots from SCU players in the paint.
Diagne finished with nine points on 4-of-4 shooting and pulled down four rebounds. His previous season highs were seven points and three boards. He’d only played 15 minutes and 28 seconds in WCC play before logging 18 minutes against the Broncos.
Turnaround from behind the arc
Santa Clara burned the Zags from behind the 3-point arc in the first half, draining its first eight attempts. That changed in a big way the rest of the game.
Forward Johnny O’Neil’s misfire from distance with 6:55 left in the first half was the first of 13 consecutive missed 3s by the Broncos. That string was finally broken when Tyeree Bryan connected with 2:32 remaining when Gonzaga was comfortably in front by 23 points.
SCU, which made a program and West Coast Conference record 23 3-pointers in a win over Washington State on Saturday, added a couple of more late 3s to finish 11 of 25. GU made 6 of 22.
Innocenti sidelined with illness
The Zags’ seemingly never-ending battle with illness struck again with Emmanuel Innocenti sidelined Tuesday. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is Gonzaga’s top perimeter defender, which would have been a nice option against Santa Clara’s skills big guards/wings.
Bryan, a 6-5 wing who torched Gonzaga for seven 3-pointers and 35 points in SCU’s 103-99 win in Spokane, hit a pair of triples in the first 3-plus minutes, both just before the shot-clock expired, and 6-7 Adama-Alpha Bal added another as Santa Clara built an early 13-3 lead.
Bryan and Bal combined for five 3s to give the Broncos a 33-25 advantage in the first 11 minutes, 32 seconds.