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# ‘Poorest Effort All Year’: Portland Stuns No. 6 Gonzaga 88-73, Snaps Zags' 15-Game Winning Streak
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/poorest-effort-all-year-portland-stuns-gonzaga-bulldogs-snaps-zags-15-game-winning-streak/
- Published: 2026-02-05T08:02:03.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:56:27.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Game Day, Analysis, Mark Few, Graham Ike, Mario Saint-Supéry, Gonzaga Men's Basketball

PORTLAND, Ore. – It wasn’t their rival, Saint Mary’s. It wasn’t even Santa Clara, a breakout program in the WCC this season. The first team to knock off the No. 6 Gonzaga Bulldogs (22-2, 10-1) in conference turned out to be the Portland Pilots (11-14, 4-8), who entered Wednesday’s game as the third-worst team in the WCC, upsetting the overwhelming favorites in the league 87-80 in the Chiles Center for the first time since 2014.

The only other loss on Gonzaga’s resume to this point was to Michigan in the Player’s Era Final back in November, the now-ranked No. 2 team in the country. That defeat would’ve been nothing to raise an eyebrow at if not for the 40-point deficit margin, the largest of the Mark Few era. But this loss stings in a different, and much more immense way. The Pilots sit as the No. 230 team in the NET, whereas the Wolverines rank in the same spot as they do in the AP Poll. PU also boasts a nearly entirely new roster this year, and just snapped a 20-game losing streak against the Bulldogs.

With the length and wing versatility Gonzaga possesses defensively, it has been tough for many teams to have admirable shooting nights against them. But the Pilots shot 59% from the field, and an even better 65.8% from inside the arc. It was, without a doubt, GU’s roughest defensive night of the year.

“It was just probably our poorest effort all year, on the defensive end,” Few said. “…We couldn’t find a way to stop them.”

Leading the charge for Portland was freshman Joel Foxwell, who scored a season-high 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting to go along with eight assists and four rebounds. He was a catalyst from the jump, and whether it was splitting screens and throwing up floaters, or hitting threes from the logo, Foxwell was a menace at all three levels, giving Gonzaga’s defense problems all game. The 6-1 Australian guard even banged his knee midway through the second half, being helped to the bench and limping on the sideline before re-entering the game and putting the finishing touches on a career night minutes later. 

Good perimeter defense can impact shots as far as contesting, but elite shotmakers can make attempts to defend them futile, and Foxwell was the epitome of that, converting several circus shots en route to a win. He powered a Pilots offense that never was shut down for a significant stretch, an abnormal description for this year’s Bulldogs.

“We pride ourselves on getting three stops in a row, and we didn’t have that one time tonight, so that says a lot right there,” Few said.

Coming into tonight, the Zags were shooting a pedestrian 35% clip from downtown, a mark that has been trending down for several weeks. When GU has been in a cold spell offensively and found itself behind in games, better shooting from the outside has been a spark to gain some momentum, as was the case tonight in the first half. But it didn’t continue, and Gonzaga finished the contest shooting 10-of-30 from three-point range, with Mario Saint-Supéry being the lone standout from deep, making four of his eight attempts.

Forward Graham Ike posted his twelfth double-double of the season, logging 24 points and 10 rebounds, but wasn’t as aggressive getting the ball on the block and taking on doubles. It put a lot of pressure on the other four players on the floor to manufacture offense, which isn’t a strong suit for this team. With the lackluster night on both ends, no player truly played up to their standards.

“We got some real, real inconsistent efforts from some guys, and probably some guys didn’t bring what they’re supposed to bring,” Few explained. 

There are parallels between the drubbing Michigan gave Gonzaga in Las Vegas just over two months ago and the embarrassing loss Portland handed GU tonight. It starts with rebounding, as the Zags’ ability to create extra chances on the offensive boards and bully their opponents with size, length, and finishing ability is a constant win in the margins. Holding an advantage in the rebounding battle throughout and outscoring the Bulldogs in the paint 40-26, the Pilots pulled off the rare feat of being the enforcers down low, making those easy looks and opportunities that the Bulldogs usually create come few and far between.

Not going down without a fight, Gonzaga scrambled in the final minutes, attempting to mount an improbable comeback. But after going down by as much as 15 points, there wasn’t enough time to steal a win, even while forcing a few turnovers and drilling some shots that stalled the contest. In the eyes of Ike, the result doesn’t change things that are to be learned from, and the second loss of their season is no different.

“We always look at the glass half-full, never half-empty, so it’s always something to learn from, anything, whether it’s a win, a loss…” he said. “It’ll be great to see how we bounce back, I know we will.”

The Bulldogs’ resume showed cracks as this season has continued, but until tonight, it was to no fault of their own. A once-impressive non-conference schedule, featuring several ranked opponents, now boasts no team that is currently ranked in the Top 25 outside of Michigan. Combined with playing in just the eighth-best conference according to NET rating, the Zags already had to pull off an essential perfect run through the WCC for their best chances at a top seed in March. This loss could plummet GU near the bottom of next week’s AP Poll update, with a slim chance of getting a top-five seed in the national championship, even if it were not to lose again before then.

Looming even larger now is the knee injury to the team’s leading scorer in Braden Huff, with his return still a week or two away at the earliest. Several things already needed to improve, including more consistent guard play and more reliable shooting from the likes of Steele Venters and Adam Miller. Going on another long streak isn’t impossible for this very talented squad, but it might be even more necessary at this point in the season.