Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Portland Pilots - News - January 25, 2025 | FOX Sports

Ryan Nembhard - Another pass-first outing Nembhard closed Saturday's 105-62 win over Portland with two points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt), 13 assists and two steals over 26 minutes.

Impact Nembhard's scoring continues to be down compared to last season with so many talented offensive options on the roster, but he remains an elite distributor for Gonzaga. He's now recorded double-digit assists in five of six games, including a season-best 15 in the previous Saturday's loss to Santa Clara. The recent run has brought his season-long averaging up to 9.9 apg and extended his lead over LA Tech's Sean Newman (9.0 apg) for the best mark in the country.

JANUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Michael Ajayi - Season-best scoring total Ajayi recorded 20 points (7-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 5-9 FT), eight rebounds and one assist over 20 minutes during Saturday's 105-62 win over Portland.

Impact Both a favorable matchup and unexpectedly low usage for Khalif Battle allowed Ajayi to post his best scoring total of the season. While capable of a big game when given an opportunity, Ajayi's 2024-25 production remains a far cry from the 17.2 ppg and 9.9 rpg marks he posted a season ago with Pepperdine.

JANUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Khalif Battle - Struggles as reserve Battle posted one rebound and one assist over 16 minutes during Saturday's 105-62 win over Portland.

Impact Battle was just 4-for-17 from the field over the previous two games leading up to Saturday -- both of which were Gonzaga losses. In a bit of an unexpected move here, Battle came off the bench in favor of the rarely-used Emmanuel Innocenti, who put up eight points and five assists in 23 minutes. A weak opponent in Portland allowed coach Mark Few to send a message and shake up his lineup, so while this usage is likely out of the ordinary for Battle, he remains a risky fantasy option until we know he's out of the doghouse.

JANUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Ben Gregg - Matches season high Gregg ended with 24 points (10-10 FG, 4-4 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists and one steal across 20 minutes during Saturday's 105-62 victory over Portland.

Impact Gregg has now started seven consecutive games for Gonzaga -- despite some conflicting starting lineup reports -- and is averaging 13.9 ppg over that stretch after matching a season-best scoring effort Saturday. There are still a plethora of talented forwards on the roster, however, so expect some inconsistency game in and game out.

JANUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Emmanuel Innocenti - Surprise start Saturday Innocenti finished with eight points (3-5 FG, 2-4 3Pt), two rebounds, five assists and one block across 23 minutes during Saturday's 105-62 victory over Portland.

Impact Innocenti went from logging a combined two minutes in three games (including two DNPs) to making his first start of the season and recording season highs in minutes, points and assists. It's unclear what may have happened in practice this week to result in Mark Few shaking things up and benching Khalif Battle, but there was likely a message getting sent after back-to-back WCC losses. Despite the solid performance from Innocenti, it seems unlikely an extended run in the starting five is forthcoming.

JANUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Graham Ike - Comes off bench in victory Ike provided 14 points (6-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, four assists, one block and two steals over 16 minutes during Saturday's 105-62 win over Portland.

Impact After a week that saw Gonzaga take back-to-back losses in conference play, coach Mark Few shook up his lineup against an overmatched Portland team, and that resulted in Ike coming off the bench in favor of Braden Huff (12 points, four rebounds). The low overall workload wasn't necessarily performance-related, however -- more a result of a lopsided scorer that allowed Few to empty his bench. Gonzaga will need Ike at full strength Tuesday when the Bulldogs look to avenge a loss to Oregon State, this time facing the Beavers at home.

JANUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Ben Gregg has 24 points, Michael Ajayi scores 20 and Gonzaga cruises to 105-62 romp over Portland

Ben Gregg didn’t miss a shot and matched his career high with 24 points, Michael Ajayi scored a season-high 20 and Gonzaga snapped a two-game slide with 105-62 victory over Portlan...

JANUARY 26 • Associated Press