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No. 7 Gonzaga routs Pepperdine 96-56 in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams

No. 7 Gonzaga routs Pepperdine 96-56 in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams | iNFOnews.ca
Gonzaga guard Braeden Smith, center, attempts to shoot from inside the paint during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Pepperdine, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Carlin Stiehl)

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Reserve Tyon Grant-Foster had 18 points and four blocks, and Braeden Smith and Davis Fogle scored 15 points apiece to lead No. 7 Gonzaga to a 96-56 win over Pepperdine in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams Sunday night.

Gonzaga (13-1), in its last West Coast Conference season before moving to the Pac-12 next season, displayed the same dominance that helped it win 26 WCC titles. The Bulldogs seemingly dunked and scored at will in winning their sixth straight game since their only loss of the season, against Michigan on Nov. 26.

The Bulldogs have a 50-game win streak over the Waves (5-9, 0-1), who were no match for 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward Braden Huff, forward Graham Ike and Co. Huff, who leads the WCC in scoring at 19.1 points per game, had 10 points, three rebounds and four assists.

Ike had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Ike, who ranks third in WCC scoring (17.0) and second in rebounding (8.3), reached 1,000 career rebounds Sunday. He needed five entering the game and reached the milestone in the first half. He is the only active Division I player with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career.

Gonzaga pulled away midway through the first half with an 18-0 run. During that time, Pepperdine had a scoreless drought of 5:17, which ended with a pair of free throws by Styles Phipps.

Gonzaga was tough at both ends of the floor. During one series in the first half, Adam Miller blocked Aaron Clark’s shot, then Grant-Foster scored on an alley-oop dunk off a Jalen Warleyon assist on the fastbreak.

Clark, Pepperdine’s leading scorer, was held to four points on 2-for-14 shooting. Yonatan Levy led Pepperdine with 15 points.

Up next

Gonzaga: At San Diego on Tuesday.

Pepperdine: Hosts Saint Mary’s on Tuesday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

No. 7 Gonzaga routs Pepperdine 96-56 in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams | iNFOnews.ca
Gonzaga guard Braeden Smith (3) drives the ball down court during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Carlin Stiehl)
No. 7 Gonzaga routs Pepperdine 96-56 in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams | iNFOnews.ca
Gonzaga guard Davis Fogle (4) makes a slam dunk during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Carlin Stiehl)
No. 7 Gonzaga routs Pepperdine 96-56 in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams | iNFOnews.ca
Pepperdine forward Danilo Dozic (35) looks for an open pass during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Carlin Stiehl)
No. 7 Gonzaga routs Pepperdine 96-56 in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams | iNFOnews.ca
Gonzaga guard Davis Fogle (4) defends against Pepperdine forward Javon Cooley (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Carlin Stiehl)

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Jill Painter Lopez

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