Gonzaga Basketball: 3 takeaways from revenge victory over Santa Clara Broncos

In what ended up being a shootout, Gonzaga Basketball got a needed home win over Santa Clara.

All eyes have been on the last week of the season for Gonzaga Basketball, with road games against San Francisco and Saint Mary's that'll determine if they have a shot at getting an at-large bid. But first was a home game against Santa Clara, who happened to beat the Bulldogs in the first matchup at their place to end a decade-plus losing skid to the WCC juggernauts.

The Broncos were looking for the season sweep, keeping up with Gonzaga in a first half shootout. The home team found a way to go on a big run to get a double-digit lead and coast to a 94-81 victory. Here are some takeaways from the game.

1. Bounce-back games from Ike and Hickman

In the first go-around, Anton Watson scored a career-high 32 points to keep Gonzaga in the game against Santa Clara. The other starters struggled, including Nolan Hickman scoring four points on 1/9 shooting, while Graham Ike had just five points in 17 minutes, dealing with foul trouble.

Those two ended up being the best players for Gonzaga in the rematch. Ike had a game-high 26 points on 9/13 shooting, while Hickman went for 20 points and five assists, making 5/7 from deep. With just about every starter having an impact, the Bulldogs, at home, were going to be a tough team to beat.

2. Held Santa Clara guards in check

In the first matchup, star guard Adama Bal had 17 points to lead the Broncos, while Brandon Knapper had 16 points on 4/6 from deep. Those two were kept in check in a big way, combining for 13 points on 4/14 shooting from the field.

The frontcourt kept Santa Clara in the game, with Johnny O'Neil (16), Christoph Tilly (18), and Francisco Caffaro (10) all having big games inside. That's a possible concern going forward for the Bulldogs but with only one group killing them, it was enough to get the win.

3. Breakout game from Dusty Stromer

The first Santa Clara game was the breaking point for Stromer as a starter, going scoreless and getting benched for the second half. He's been a 6th Man ever since, scoring just one double-figure game and having six games with two points or fewer. But the freshman guard had one of his best games of the season, scoring 10 points off the bench and making both of his three-point attempts.

Against a good team, Stromer played 27 minutes and allowed Gonzaga to go back to the three-guard lineup that defended the Broncos perimeter well. The team doesn't need him to give 10+ points every game but with a short bench as is, him having an impact each game will be important. Especially for the upcoming week.