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# Gonzaga Powers Past Pepperdine 84-60 as Several Players Maximize New Opportunity
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/gonzaga-powers-past-pepperdine-several-players-maximize-new-opportunity/
- Published: 2026-01-22T07:36:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:54:00.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Game Day, Analysis, Gonzaga, Davis Fogle, Noah Haaland, Mark Few

SPOKANE, Wash. – For much of this season, there has been plenty of anticipation about the possible impact of true freshman Davis Fogle. Gonzaga’s (20-1, 8-0) outstanding depth on the wing has left the first-year forward on the outside looking in for the majority of the year, however.

But with the recent injuries sidelining the Bulldogs’ two best players in Graham Ike and Braden Huff, Fogle has been the main beneficiary of increased opportunity in their absences. And he certainly made the most of it Wednesday night, leading the Zags in scoring with 17 points during GU’s 82-60 victory over Pepperdine (6-15, 1-7), which secured the program’s 29th straight season of at least 20 wins.

As can be expected with a tenured coach like Mark Few and a young player like Fogle, he isn’t as polished around the edges for Few’s liking to this point, at times having tunnel vision and being out of control with the ball in his hands. But Fogle has consistently shown an ability to stay aggressive, pairing it with a quality of shot-making that only enhances his ceiling down the road. He pressed the issue continuously against Pepperdine, shooting 10 free throws while dishing out four assists and grabbing three rebounds.

The brunt of Fogle’s appearances so far this season has been in garbage time, making it more difficult to truly evaluate how the freshman would fare in a more neutral game script. Even with the Waves not being the best the WCC has to offer, Fogle performing this admirably against a conference opponent bodes well for potentially breaking into the lineup later in the year with more at stake.

He also gave everyone in the McCarthey Athletic Center a brief scare late in the game, collapsing on the baseline due to cramps with just 33 seconds remaining in regulation, but eventually got up under his own power and jogged to the sideline, assuring he was alright postgame.

Also making the most of the current situation was 6-9 forward Noah Haaland, who scored a season-high 10 points and four rebounds on 4-of-4 shooting in 11 minutes off the bench. With Ismaila Diagne slotted in as the team’s starting center, Haaland is the next man up as another traditional big man for Gonzaga. The redshirt senior has certainly paid his dues, and with this solid performance, Haaland might’ve played himself into more tick moving forward.

“He’s very worthy of getting this time. He was just playing behind two All-Americans,” Few laughed. “…This isn’t an out-of-body experience. This is kind of what we’ve been seeing every day in practice, and we have confidence in him. I think the players have confidence in him, and I assume, we’ll see a lot more of him.”

With the aforementioned luxury on the depth chart, Haaland isn’t the only Bulldog to have to take a backseat in regard to getting in-game action. But as his teammate Adam Miller put it, their presence and effort in other settings have an impact on the Bulldogs’ performance as well.

“Noah’s amazing, man. We’ve got a lot of guys who don’t always get the shine on nights like \[Joaquim ArauzMoore\] or Cade \[Orness\]…but this team doesn’t run without those guys,” Miller explained. “So just kudos to him for being ready for the moment. And we wouldn’t be as good as we are without those guys, without Noah. I’m happy that he had a good game today and is with us for as long as he’s been with us and for the future.”

Haaland said he spoke to former Zag and son of Basketball Hall of Famer John Stockton, David, before last season about getting the most out of his role for GU. He took it to heart that being competitive and giving effort in practices prepares him to be ready whenever his number is called.

“Taking all the reps in practice, even the scout team reps, very seriously. Playing hard and treating it like it’s a game…really taking advantage of the time, being able to play with these really high-level guys, it’s helped me improve so much.”

12 Zags checked into the game and every one who had notable playing time versus the Waves got into the scoring column, aside from Orness and ArauzMoore, who logged three and two minutes, respectively. No Bulldog played for more than 26 minutes as well. They held Pepperdine to just a 14% clip (3-for-22) from beyond the arc while forcing 15 turnovers. Mario Saint-Supéry had five of Gonzaga’s 10 steals while also putting up 12 points and hauling in five boards. Adam Miller and Tyon Grant-Foster combined for 23 points, heavily contributing to 26 of the Bulldogs’ 31 buckets that were scored in the paint.

It was another strong showing for a Zags squad that hasn’t seemed to miss their superb starting frontcourt after two games. Ike’s status remains day-to-day with right ankle soreness, while Huff will miss the next 4-8 weeks with a left knee injury. GU will look to keep the train moving against San Francisco (13-8, 5-3) on Saturday, January 24 at 7 PM PT.