No. 9 Gonzaga Looks to Avenge Loss Against Portland

Bulldogs host Pilots on Senior Night with chance to clinch WCC regular-season title

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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No. 9 Gonzaga will host Portland on Wednesday, looking to avenge their lone West Coast Conference loss of the season. The Bulldogs suffered an 87-80 defeat against the Pilots on February 4, ending a 20-game winning streak against their conference rival. Gonzaga has won five straight games since the loss and can secure the top seed in the WCC tournament and a share of the regular-season title with a victory on Senior Night.

Why it matters

Gonzaga's loss to Portland earlier this season was one of the biggest upsets of the college basketball season. The Bulldogs are looking to make a statement and prove that the earlier defeat was an anomaly as they prepare to leave the WCC and join the revamped Pac-12 conference next season.

The details

In the previous matchup, Portland freshman point guard Joel Foxwell led the Pilots with 27 points and 8 assists. Gonzaga's leading scorer Graham Ike had 24 points and 10 rebounds, but didn't get much help from his teammates. The Bulldogs have won five straight games since the loss, all by at least 8 points. Ike has scored 20 or more points in 9 consecutive games, breaking a school record.

  • Gonzaga suffered the 87-80 loss to Portland on February 4, 2026.
  • The rematch will take place on Wednesday, February 24, 2026, which is Gonzaga's Senior Night.

The players

Joel Foxwell

A freshman point guard for Portland who scored 27 points and had 8 assists in the Pilots' upset win over Gonzaga.

Graham Ike

Gonzaga's leading scorer who had 24 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Portland, but didn't get much help from his teammates.

Mark Few

The head coach of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who is looking to avenge the team's lone WCC loss of the season.

Shantay Legans

The head coach of the Portland Pilots, who led his team to the upset victory over Gonzaga despite tearing his ACL during practice.

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What they’re saying

“I think when you have a program like ours, and we're having a season like we're having, I think you always feel like you've got to respond -- but then you've got to respond. You can't be talking about it. You've got to bear down and get stops on defense.”

— Mark Few, Head Coach, Gonzaga Bulldogs (statenews.net)

“I can promise it won't happen again. They had more effort, more energy than us. Kudos to them, but we've got to flush it. ... Got to be better.”

— Graham Ike (statenews.net)

“Everything has to happen right in a game like that. They have to miss some key shots and some key free throws. And our guys played with a lot of confidence and kept their cool and kept their composure. And I think it helped playing at home. We've been pretty good at home.”

— Shantay Legans, Head Coach, Portland Pilots (statenews.net)

What’s next

Gonzaga can clinch the top seed in the West Coast Conference tournament and a share of the regular-season title with a win over Portland on Wednesday.

The takeaway

Gonzaga's loss to Portland earlier this season was a major upset, but the Bulldogs have a chance to avenge that defeat and solidify their standing as the top team in the WCC before departing for the Pac-12 next year. The rematch on Senior Night will be a key test for Gonzaga as they look to bounce back from their only conference loss.