Freshman Mario Saint-Supery stepped up significantly in the second half of Saturday’s 94-86 win over the Santa Clara Broncos as the No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-2, 14-1 WCC) took on the San Francisco Dons (15-14, 7-9 WCC) at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. Starting at linebacker is redshirt junior Braeden Smith.
Seeing the calmness and stability he brought to the offense over the weekend, head coach Mark Few decided to give Spaniard his first start since Dec. 21 against the Oregon Ducks at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. This is the 11th time this season that the coach has used a different starting lineup.
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Saint-Supéry showed off his high basketball IQ and controlled the tempo, always keeping his head up and knowing where everyone was on the court at all times. He turned the ball over just once and dished out a team-high six assists for his first dunk in a Gonzaga uniform. That was two of St. Super’s 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting against San Francisco, along with four rebounds and two steals.
As for coach Chris Gerlufsen’s Dons, the fourth-year head coach gave sophomore star guard Tyrone Riley IV (team-high 16 points, 7-of-14 shooting, 2-for-5 from 3-point range in 36 minutes) his first start after missing the last two games with a knee injury.
Groveson’s team has struggled this season, to say the least. It’s a talented roster, but former McDonald’s All-American Mookie Cook has been sidelined with injury for much of the season. Had he stayed healthy all season long, this team’s outlook could have been much different. Cook scored 12 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the charity stripe against the Zags.
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True freshman guard legend Smiley (10 points on 2-of-4 3-point shooting) has stepped up for the Dons, especially from beyond the arc against Gonzaga in 2025-26. In two regular season games, he shot 70% from 7-10 from beyond the arc.
Graduate forward and All-American selection Graham Ike was not in formal wear the last time he defeated USF on Jan. 24, 1968-66, at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. The matchup to watch tonight is between Ike and small forward David Fox. He’s a solid rebounder and defender, but he struggled shooting the ball (nine points on 3-of-10 shooting, six rebounds) and was in foul trouble throughout.
Against San Francisco, Ike scored a game-high 22 points on 10-for-17 shooting in 36 minutes. It was eight straight games with at least 20 points for the Gonzaga big man.
He wasn’t afraid to try and stretch the floor, as Towns challenged him for much of the first half. Ike can even get to the NBA three-point line, but that’s not his game. The 6-foot-9 phenom went 2-for-5 from the field and added five rebounds and three assists as the Zags won their third straight game at Chase Center. Why the final game between these two West Coast institutions wasn’t played at the top of the mountain is puzzling.
In a house built by Steph Curry, Gonzaga struggled to hit 5-for-17 shots from beyond the arc. It was the fourth straight game the Zags made five or fewer three-pointers. Gonzaga shot 29-of-45 (64.4%) from behind the arc and outscored San Francisco 46-26 in points scored inside.
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On the defensive end, junior wing Emmanuel Innocenti (2 points on 6-for-11 shooting in 35 minutes, a game-high 8 rebounds, and 4 steals) played his best in the fast break. He brings energy back to his teammates with his continued ability to turn defense into offense.
The same goes for true freshman wing Davis Fogel off the bench (8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists/zero turnovers), who is a very interesting player in transition. He had a highlight reel of an “all on himself” grand slam during his freshman campaign.
Fyfe’s team continued to work hard in the passing lanes, totaling 11 tackles against Towns. In his final three games with the Zags, graduate guard Adam Miller has greatly improved in his decision-making as a playmaker (three assists, zero turnovers), defensively (two steals) and his overall shot selection (nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, 1-of-3 from 3-point range). As March approaches, this is a good sign.
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Gonzaga has now won 35 consecutive games against San Francisco dating back to 2013. The Zags lead the series all-time with a 79-22 record, dating back to the 1979-1980 season. This likely won’t be the last time these two programs meet this season, with a possible West Coast Conference Championship game taking place at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gonzaga returns to the Inland Northwest to take on the competitive Pacific Tigers (17-12, 8-8 WCC), who currently sit fourth in the West Coast Conference. The penultimate game of the season for the Kennels will be Saturday, February 21 at 6 PM PT on ESPN+/KHQ.
Graduate wing Steele Venters suited up for the Zags against the Dons but did not play in back-to-back games. There’s no official word on what’s going on there, and there’s nothing to monitor. In news regarding redshirt small forward Brayden Huff, Fife said on “The Mark Fife Show” last Sunday that he will be out for at least another three weeks, if not longer. That would set up a timetable for a return during the NCAA Tournament, but that seems unlikely at this time. His left knee injury is a tricky one and he still has a long way to go before he fully recovers.
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Mary’s Gaels defeated the Seattle U RedHawks 72-70 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, the possibility of a triple West Coast Conference bid in the Big Dance remains strong. Gonzaga remains atop the conference standings, one game ahead of Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga grad from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
