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Graham Ike stars in return as No. 6 Gonzaga handles Saint Mary’s

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NCAA Basketball: St. Mary's at GonzagaJan 31, 2026; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley (8) knocks the ball away from Saint Mary’s Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Graham Ike scored 30 points in his return from an ankle injury to lead No. 6 Gonzaga to a 73-65 victory over Saint Mary’s on Saturday night in West Coast Conference play at Spokane, Wash.

Jalen Warley had 10 points and seven rebounds and Emmanuel Innocenti also had 10 points for the Bulldogs (22-1, 10-0 WCC), who won their 15th consecutive contest.

Ike was 11-of-20 shooting — including 3 of 5 from 3-point range — to post his second 30-point outing of the season. Ike missed the previous three games.

Joshua Dent scored 16 points and Paulius Murauskas added 15 for the Gaels (19-4, 8-2). Dillan Shaw had 13 points for Saint Mary’s, which has dropped two of its last four games.

Gonzaga shot 46.6% from the field, including 6 of 17 from 3-point range, while beating Saint Mary’s for the 28th time in the past 38 meetings.

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The Gaels made just 34% of their attempts and were 6 of 21 from behind the arc.

Shaw’s 3-pointer early in the second half gave the Gaels a 44-38 advantage.

Gonzaga answered with a 10-2 run and took a two-point lead on Ike’s turnaround jumper with 12:59 left.

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Dent followed with a layup to tie the score before the Bulldogs rattled off eight more points. A basket by Warley capped it and gave Gonzaga a 56-48 lead with 10:12 to play.

Mantas Juzenas drilled a 3-pointer to pull Saint Mary’s within 60-56 with 8:35 left.

The Zags held off the charge and the lead was 71-61 after Ike made a trey with 1:27 left to play en route to closing it out.

Murauskas scored 13 first-half points to help Saint Mary’s hold a 38-34 halftime lead. Ike had 14 first-half points for the Bulldogs.

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Ike’s dunk gave Gonzaga a 23-13 lead with 8:15 left in the first half before the Gaels dominated the rest of the half.

Saint Mary’s scored nine straight points to cut its deficit to one and later moved ahead at 33-32 on Dent’s 3-pointer with 59 seconds remaining.

–Field Level Media

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3 mistakes Tony Khan must avoid on this week’s AEW Dynamite

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Tony Khan will present tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Las Vegas this week. The show will take place at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort, and fans have high expectations for it. AEW has announced a stacked lineup of stars for the show, including some big-time matches featuring top AEW names.

As of now, Tony Khan has announced four big showdowns for the event. Hangman Page will take on Mark Davis in a singles clash. Apart from that, Andrade and Kenny Omega will also square off in a big matchup. Moreover, MJF will take on Brody King in an AEW World Title Eliminator Match. Additionally, Jack Perry and Ricochet will also clash over the AEW National Title. There are several other top stars like Kris Statlander and Jon Moxley expected to appear on the show.

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In this article, let’s take a look at 3 mistakes Tony Khan must avoid on this week’s AEW Dynamite:

#3. A clear decision for the Andrade and Kenny Omega match

Andrade will face Kenny Omega tonight on AEW Dynamite. It is a much-anticipated showdown between the two stars following El Idolo’s attack on The Cleaner on Dynamite’s 6th Anniversary last year. However, both stars are brimming with momentum as of late in the Jacksonville-based promotion. Besides, Andrade and Omega are top contenders for the AEW World Championship.

Therefore, Tony Khan can create a solid storyline involving the two stars down the line. However, a defeat to any one of them could destroy their momentum. Hence, instead of giving this match a clear closure, there should be a screwed ending for this showdown. It would help Khan to keep this feud open without affecting anyone’s credibility and momentum in the company.

#2. No follow-up on Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford’s title quest

Last week, on AEW Dynamite, Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford came down the aisle to give a staredown to the AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander and the AEW World Women’s Tag Team Champions Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron. That moment alone shone a massive spotlight on Bayne and Ford, sparking interest from a lot of fans in their work down the line.

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However, if Tony Khan did not give any follow-up to that intense staredown, it would make last week’s segment meaningless. Instead, the AEW President should book Bayne and Ford in some sort of confrontation with The Babes of Wrath and Kris Statlander. Besides, fans have been clamoring to see Megan chase the AEW Women’s World Title. Therefore, it sets up a golden opportunity for AEW to build Megan Bayne to the top.

#1. Another loss to Jack Perry on AEW Dynamite

Jack Perry will challenge the champion Ricochet for the AEW National Championship tonight on AEW Dynamite. It is a rematch between the two stars after their last title match on 31 December 2025, AEW Dynamite. Perry made his return to AEW last year following a prolonged hiatus. However, he has not achieved anything big since then in the company.

He has already faced a defeat against Ricochet on Dynamite, and another loss could heavily impact his credibility. Therefore, Tony Khan should crown Perry a new National Champion tonight. The Lightskin Kingpin has already managed to have a decent run with the title. The Scapegoat has the potential to heavily elevate the prestige of the championship down the line.