LAS VEGAS — Defense has become Gonzaga’s identity this season, and the Bulldogs leaned on it again in their West Coast Conference tournament semifinal win over Oregon State.
Gonzaga had eight steals and forced 10 turnovers that turned into 16 fast-break points as the Bulldogs disrupted the Beavers’ offense throughout the night. The Zags said that defensive pressure has become the foundation of this year’s team.
“That’s what we’ve built our season on,” Gonzaga guard Davis Fogle said. “Being pesky on the defensive side, making things happen, not letting them speed us up. We’re speeding them up. I think we made it really tough for them to get into a flow. So I think our defense is really solid today.”
Gonzaga guard Braden Smith echoed that message, emphasizing that defense will be key as the Bulldogs push deeper into postseason play.
“Win the game with defense, we’re going to have to win games with defense going down in the stretch,” Smith said. “So just reiterating that message, staying tough and finishing the game off strong.”
The Bulldogs’ defense also received a boost with the return of Jalen Warley, who was back in the lineup after missing the final two regular-season games with a thigh contusion. Warley played 23 minutes and helped Gonzaga hold Oregon State under 60 points.
Warley said Gonzaga’s ability to generate stops fuels the team’s transition offense.
“Starts on the defensive end,” Warley said. “So the more we get stops, the more we get rebounds, we can get some easy transition points. We’ve got a lot of really good athletes too. So we can get out in space, running we’re really hard to beat.”
Head coach Mark Few said Warley’s impact was noticeable even after limited practice time returning from injury.
“He only had two practices. I think, Friday and Saturday, we were able to kind of get him up and going,” Few said. “Once you put him out there, I mean, he’s going to do what Jalen does. So I thought he was very effective.”
Warley’s return also stood out to Gonzaga forward Graham Ike, who led the Bulldogs with 24 points and 11 rebounds while recording his 14th double-double and surpassing 2,500 career points.
“Both ends, he’s special, man. He’s phenomenal,” Ike said. “The way he gets us into action, the way that he just keeps the ball moving on the offensive end is special. And then on the defensive end, he’s handsy. He’s everywhere. He’s hitting his coverages. He’s talking to us. He’s pulling us together for huddles. We’ve definitely missed his energy and his leadership on the floor and I’m glad to have him back.”
Guard Adam Miller also pointed to Warley’s leadership and presence as an important part of Gonzaga’s defensive success.
“He’s an amazing player. And he leads in ways that you guys don’t even see,” Miller said. “And you know, what he does for his team is, you can’t replace it. So he’s just, he’s just amazing.”
With the win, Gonzaga advanced to its 29th consecutive conference tournament championship game — an NCAA record. It will also be the Bulldogs’ final game in the West Coast Conference, as the program prepares to move to the Pac-12.
Now, Gonzaga will look to close out its time in the WCC with one more tournament championship. No. 1-seed Gonzaga will battle No. 3-seed Santa Clara on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for the title.