SPOKANE, Wash. (Interstat) — In a pivotal West Coast Conference clash that lived up to its billing, the Gonzaga Bulldogs used a dominant second-half performance and a career night from Graham Ike to fend off the Saint Mary’s Gaels 73-65 on Saturday night at a sold-out McCarthey Athletic Center.

A crowd of 6,000 watched as the Bulldogs, now 22-1 overall, overcame a halftime deficit to maintain their grip on first place in the conference standings. The Gaels, who entered the game with a 19-3 record, saw a four-game winning streak snapped in a contest defined by physical defense and a decisive disparity in offensive efficiency.

The game’s most important sequence unfolded midway through the second half, turning a narrow contest into a Gonzaga-controlled affair. Leading 48-46 with just over 12 minutes remaining, the Bulldogs unleashed a 13-2 run over the next four minutes that proved insurmountable. The surge was fueled by their defensive intensity and inside scoring. Emmanuel Innocenti of Gonzaga hit a critical three-pointer, Mario Saint-Supery added another from deep, and Ike capped the run with a turnaround jumper and a three-pointer of his own, pushing the lead to 61-48 with 8:46 left. Saint Mary’s, which shot just 34 percent from the floor for the game, could not muster a sustained response to the burst.

Ike, a 6-foot-9 forward from Aurora, Colorado, was the undisputed star, pouring in 30 points on efficient shooting to lead all scorers. He added a block and was a constant force in the paint, where Gonzaga outscored Saint Mary’s 36-20. His scoring, particularly during the decisive second-half run, provided the offensive anchor the Bulldogs needed.

Saint Mary’s guard Joshua Dent from Wollongong, Australia, kept the Gaels in contention with 16 points, three assists and relentless defensive activity. Forward Paulius Murauskas of Kaunas, Lithuania, added 15 points, and Dillan Shaw of Northridge, California, contributed 13. The Gaels stayed close for much of the game by capitalizing at the free-throw line, making 23 of 25 attempts.

The first half was a tense, back-and-forth affair featuring eight lead changes. Saint Mary’s used an 8-0 run late in the period to take its largest lead at 38-30, but Gonzaga closed the half with four straight points to trim the deficit to 38-34 at the break. The Gaels’ offensive rhythm, however, would not survive the intermission. Gonzaga’s defense tightened, holding Saint Mary’s to 27 points on 29 percent shooting in the second half.

While the scoring was led by Ike, Gonzaga received balanced support. Saint-Supery, from Malaga, Spain, orchestrated the offense with nine points and five assists. Innocenti, of Petit Badien, Ivory Coast, provided a crucial spark with 10 points, two assists and a block, and Jalen Warley of Philadelphia chipped in 10 points.

The statistical sheet underscored Gonzaga’s winning formula. The Bulldogs shot 46.6 percent from the field compared to Saint Mary’s 34 percent. Gonzaga also won the battle on the glass, securing 10 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points. Both teams committed a nearly identical number of turnovers, but Gonzaga’s superior shot-making and interior presence made the difference.

With the victory, Gonzaga extends its home-court advantage and sets up a compelling rematch with the Gaels in Moraga, California, on Feb. 28. Saint Mary’s will look to regroup on Wednesday when it hosts San Diego. Gonzaga hits the road for its next contest, facing Portland on Wednesday.

The game was played within the context of preseason projections, as Interstat’s ELO system had given Gonzaga an 83.2 percent probability to win. The Bulldogs, now boasting a 22-1 record, validated that forecast with a characteristically strong performance on their home floor, while a resilient Saint Mary’s team fell to 19-4.