Gonzaga Cruises in Senior Night Win Over Portland, Clinches No. 1 Seed in WCC
There was no semblance of an upset this time around. In Gonzaga’s final game of the season at the McCarthey Athletic Center, the Bulldogs (28-2, 16-1) annihilated Portland (12-18, 5-12) on Senior Night 89-48, clinching the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and at least a share of the regular season title in the program’s final year as a member of the WCC.
It capped off their first undefeated season at home since 2021-22, and with the Zags cutting down the net on their home court afterwards, the postgame emotions were certainly different compared to when they suffered their lone conference loss to the Pilots three weeks ago. It was a true beatdown on both ends, as GU notched its largest margin of defeat of West Coast play, and its most lopsided victory since Dec. 7, when it beat North Florida by 51.
Fueling Portland in its previous matchup against Gonzaga was freshman Joel Foxwell, who drilled several contested and back-breaking shots on the way to a 27-point performance. His game tonight started similarly, as he knocked down two stepback three-pointers over Mario Saint-Supéry before drawing a foul on a third attempt from distance. But his scoring magic did not continue, with the Bulldogs locking in defensively on Foxwell – who finished with just 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting – and the rest of the Pilots’ offense to hold them to several scoreless stretches.
Gonzaga Wins Clunky Contest Against Pacific 71-62
It sure wasn’t pretty. There were plenty of ill-advised shots, rushed possessions, and a bunch of missed free throws, but Gonzaga (27-2, 16-1) still found a way to get past Pacific (17-13, 8-9) 71-62 at home for its fifth consecutive victory.
Watching the Tigers on tape, Mark Few figured the game would be far from a smooth operation. His prediction was taken to the extreme, with Gonzaga playing one of its rougher stretches of basketball this season in the first half.
Eight and a half hours earlier, there was a bracket preview held for the NCAA Tournament, where the Zags were listed as one of the No.3 seeds. One of the committee chairs, Keith Gill, shared that the group was seriously considering GU as a No.4 seed prior to a season-ending injury to Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, with the Bulldogs’ lone conference loss to Portland still looming large in the eyes of the committee.
Gonzaga Bulldozes San Francisco 80-59 at Chase Center
Mark Few’s message to his team all season long has been that ‘every dog will have its day’. When Braden Huff, Gonzaga’s star forward, was sidelined in the middle of January with a left knee injury, the significance of that motto increased substantially. Huff’s running mate in the frontcourt, Graham Ike, was expected to and has held things down from a production standpoint.
But for a period, the Bulldogs struggled to find consistent offense from those alongside Ike with Huff on the bench, lacking the balance needed to truly threaten teams in the half-court.
Now continuing to build off strong performances, the Zags (26-2, 14-1) are getting welcome contributions from several members on the roster game-over-game, most recently disposing of San Francisco (15-14, 7-9) 80-59 to extend their winning streak to four. Even with Ike scoring 22, his eighth straight game of eclipsing 20 points, punishing the Dons who dared him to knock down open mid-range jumpers – and he obliged – the story was about those around him, who provided enough to leave the Chase Center with a blowout victory.
‘Took a Village’: Gonzaga Beats Santa Clara 94-86 to Reclaim First Place in WCC
Things haven’t been as smooth offensively for the Gonzaga Bulldogs (25-2, 13-1) since Braden Huff went down with a knee injury a month ago. The operation has gone stagnant more frequently, which has led to declining defensive play, fewer of the team’s three-point attempts have been falling, and outside of the Zags’ leading scorer, Graham Ike, there has been a lack of consistent production from everyone else. The overall drop-off has led to much tighter wins, not including a devastating loss to Portland last Thursday.
But in GU’s biggest game of the season on the road against Santa Clara (22-6, 13-2), several members of the supporting cast stepped up to the challenge to overcome the Broncos 94-86, snapping their nine-game winning streak and handing them their first home loss of the season to reclaim first place in the WCC.
Washington State Gets Blown Out By Gonzaga, Loses 83-53 in WCC Rematch
In a game that was never truly competitive, the Washington State Cougars landed on the wrong side of an ugly blowout to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, losing 83-53 on the road.
Coming into the matchup, it was clear the underdog Cougars would need to play a complete 40 minutes to have a chance against the Bulldogs on the road. Instead, it turned into one of their worst performances of the season against the wrong opponent.
From the opening tip, Gonzaga controlled the tempo and exposed Washington State on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Cougars struggled to find any rhythm. Their shooting was poor, and didn’t generate many high quality shots. Several early turnovers led directly to Gonzaga baskets, allowing the Bulldogs to build momentum quickly.
No. 12 Gonzaga Thrashes Washington State 83-53, Sets Up Crucial Santa Clara Matchup
A day after sliding six spots in the AP Poll, No. 12 Gonzaga played its best basketball in what felt like ages, dominating Washington State at the McCarthey Athletic Center Tuesday night by a score of 83-53. It was as well-rounded a game as GU has put together in several weeks, evidenced by its largest margin of victory since January 21 versus Pepperdine, and the team’s third-biggest win in conference play.
The Bulldogs have a big-time game on the horizon, heading down to Santa Clara to take on the Broncos with a chance to reclaim sole possession of first place in the WCC this Saturday, and after a brutal road loss last week to Portland, the Zags notched a large win on their home floor before the biggest game of the season.
Washington State Seeking Season-Changing Upset at Gonzaga
After coming up short against Santa Clara on Saturday, the Washington State Cougars will travel to the McCarthy Center on Tuesday night to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs for an 8 PM PT showdown in Spokane.
Known as the “New Kennel,” the Cougars will walk into one of the toughest environments in college basketball against a Gonzaga team that has been anything but predictable lately.
Since losing Braden Huff to a knee injury in January, Gonzaga’s season has taken an interesting turn. The Bulldogs followed a quality win over Saint Mary’s with a shocking road loss to Portland, then bounced back by beating Oregon State in Corvallis. While Gonzaga is still searching for lineup consistency without Huff, one thing has remained constant: Graham Ike has been absolutely dominant.
Graham Ike Ties Career High in Corvallis, Gonzaga Rebounds With 81-61 Win Over Oregon State
After the Gonzaga Bulldogs fell to the Portland Pilots 87-80 on Wednesday night, Gonzaga Bulldogs star forward Graham Ike guaranteed that what happened in the program’s worst loss in recent memory wouldn’t happen again.
The 6-9 redshirt senior’s statement was in regards to the team’s effort defensively three nights ago, but it could be applied to a couple of other things as well. Losing to the third-worst team in the WCC could be one of them. Falling to Oregon State on the road like the Bulldogs did last season in overtime could be another.
Well, neither of those things occurred on Saturday as GU (23-2, 11-1) put together a 20-point win over Oregon State (13-13, 6-7).
‘Poorest Effort All Year’: Portland Stuns No. 6 Gonzaga 88-73, Snaps Zags' 15-Game Winning Streak
Even with a 40-point defeat on its docket, No. 6 Gonzaga suffered an even worse loss Wednesday night, falling to Portland on the road 87-80, a result that will have severe ramifications. How did the Pilots pull off the massive upset over the Bulldogs?
Graham Ike Returns With 30 Points, Gonzaga Beats Saint Mary's at Home For First Time Since 2023
It was not lost on Graham Ike that he hadn't beaten Saint Mary's at home since he became a Bulldog. How did the skilled big man respond in his return to action as Gonzaga beat the Gaels inside the Kennel for the first time in three seasons?
No Huff, No Ike, No Problem; Gonzaga Suffocates Seattle U 71-50 Without Two Big Men
Even without its two leading scorers, Gonzaga proved why its truly such a dangerous team, drubbing Seattle U 71-50 Saturday night without Graham Ike or Braden Huff. How did the Bulldogs get the job done on the road?
Gonzaga Bashes Washington State 86-65 in Wake of Braden Huff Injury
Without standout forward Braden Huff for the next 1-2 months, Gonzaga is well-equipped to hold down the fort in his absence. How did the Bulldogs show off their balance and depth in a commanding win over Washington State?
Graham Ike Scores 34 as Gonzaga Gets Back at Santa Clara, Wins 10th Straight Game
It might come as a surprise that Graham Ike had never scored 30 points in a Gonzaga uniform entering Thursday night’s game, but he gave Santa Clara everything he had in the Bulldogs’ 10th straight win.
Gonzaga Storms Back From Halftime Deficit to Knock Off Seattle U in Overtime
Things didn’t look pretty for Gonzaga against Seattle U on Friday night, being on the ropes on its home court for most of the game. But some late heroics and clutch moments on both ends allowed the Bulldogs to pull out an overtime victory over the Redhawks.
‘Not Good Enough’: Mark Few Frustrated as Gonzaga Staves Off San Diego in 99-93 Win
Gonzaga's narrow victory over San Diego Tuesday night was a good reminder that losing focus at any point can cost you. What events unfolded that nearly led to a disastrous loss for the Bulldogs?
Gonzaga Pounds Pepperdine 96-56 to Open WCC Play
50 straight victories over another program is a different level of dominance, and Gonzaga secured the historic feat over Pepperdine in style, capturing a 40-point rout on the road in its first WCC game of the season. What stood out in the Bulldogs’ record-breaking win?
Analysis: Grading Each Gonzaga Player Prior to WCC Play
With a strong 12-1 start to the season, Gonzaga has executed as well as it could have expected after a lot of turnover in the rotation this offseason. How did each player on the roster perform during the non-conference slate?
Bra(e)dens Have Big Games, Gonzaga Closes Non-Conference Play With 91-82 Win Over Oregon
Gonzaga has had some undefeated non-conference slates in past, but the Bulldogs’ 12-1 record before WCC play this season has been their most impressive, at least to Mark Few. Beating Oregon on an NBA floor, who contributed to their fifth straight victory?
Braden Huff Drops Career High 37 Points, Gonzaga Cruises Past Campbell 98-70
Donning a throwback jersey, Braden Huff put together a historic performance in Gonzaga’s big win over Campbell. What feats and records did the 6-10 big man set during the Zags’ victory on Wednesday night?
Ike and Huff Combine for 46 as Gonzaga Pulls Away from UCLA in 82-72 Win
Although it hasn’t been in the situation much at all this season, Gonzaga executed when needed on both ends to leave its battle with UCLA with a victory.
How did the Zags pull out their first ever win at Climate Pledge Arena?
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