PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Graham Ike scored 19 points and third-seeded Gonzaga held off tenacious No. 14 seed Kennesaw State 73-64 in a defensive battle that ended with some drama Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Davis Fogle added 17 points for the Bulldogs, who will face No. 11 seed Texas Saturday in the West Region.
“We battled the storms,” Ike said. “This team is built for adversity from the jump, and I’m just super proud of how we handle it.”
RJ Johnson and Amir Taylor each had 15 points for Kennesaw State (21-14), which made its second March Madness appearance after winning the Conference USA Tournament.
Fogle’s dunk gave Gonzaga its first double-digit lead at 57-46 with 7:54 to go, but the Owls capitalized on a series of late fouls by the Bulldogs that enraged both the large Gonzaga crowd at the Moda Center and coach Mark Few.
Ike was called for a flagrant foul on Frankquon Sherman, who made both shots to get Kennesaw State within 67-60 with 3:06 to go.
Mario Saint-Supery headed to the Zags’ bench after his fifth foul and Sherman made free throws to get the Owls within 69-64. Ike answered with a jumper and Gonzaga held on.
