When Gonzaga officially wraps up its final season in the West Coast Conference a couple of months from now, it’ll mark the end of an era-one defined by dominance, consistency, and a whole lot of streaks. And if the eighth-ranked Zags can keep those streaks alive through the finish line, their WCC farewell tour might just double as a victory lap.
This past week was a reminder of just how long Gonzaga has ruled the conference. With a win over Pepperdine, the Bulldogs notched their 51st consecutive victory over the Waves, extending the second-longest win streak by one team over another in NCAA history.
That’s not just a number-it’s a statement. And it sets the stage for another potentially historic moment this Saturday.
Enter San Francisco.
The Dons, sitting at 13-8 overall and 5-3 in WCC play, head to Spokane for what feels like more than just another conference game. It’s a chance to end a drought that’s spanned generations.
Gonzaga, now 20-1 and 8-0 in the WCC, hasn’t lost to USF since 2012. But the Dons’ road struggles in Spokane go back even further-way further.
The last time San Francisco walked out of Gonzaga’s building with a win? February 10, 1989.
To put that in perspective: George H.W. Bush had just taken office, Mark Few was still coaching high school ball in Oregon, and the Zags were playing in the old Martin Centre, not the state-of-the-art McCarthey Athletic Center.
That night, USF edged out a 67-64 win. Since then?
Thirty-five straight losses in Spokane. That includes nine different 20-win Dons teams that came up empty, including the 24-win squad that danced in the 2022 NCAA Tournament and last season’s 23-win group featuring NBA Draft pick Jonathan Mogbo.
But this time around, there’s a sense that the Dons might have an opening.
Gonzaga is dealing with some serious frontcourt issues. Junior forward Braden Huff, who’s averaging 17.8 points per game, is expected to miss his third straight contest.
And leading scorer Graham Ike (18.1 ppg) remains day-to-day with a sore right ankle. Ike was in street clothes and a walking boot during Wednesday’s win over Pepperdine, raising real questions about his availability for Saturday.
Mark Few isn’t taking anything for granted.
“We’re going to have to be great. We’ll have to be great,” Few said.
“San Francisco’s just a really, really, really solid team. They’ve come in this building and really gave us everything-it took everything we had to get the win.
They’ve got some returnees back, they added some nice pieces in the transfer portal. They added a nice big.”
USF, for its part, is trending in the opposite direction health-wise. Head coach Chris Gerlufsen is hopeful that junior wing Mookie Cook-an Oregon transfer and former Gonzaga recruit-will be back in the lineup.
Cook’s been sidelined for seven straight WCC games with a knee injury, but his return would be a major boost. He’s averaging 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and brings a versatile presence on both ends of the floor.
In Cook’s absence, junior guard Ryan Beasley has stepped up in a big way. He leads the Dons in scoring with 14.2 points per game and has taken on a bigger offensive load after the team lost its top two scorers from last season. Sophomore Tyrone Riley IV has also emerged as a key contributor, averaging 12.1 points and 4.9 boards, while Rhode Island transfer David Fuchs has brought solid production inside, chipping in 11.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Gerlufsen knows the challenge ahead, but he’s embracing it.
“It’s going to take a lot of energy, effort. We need to be on the scout and the game plan a lot better than we were tonight,” he said after a narrow win over Washington State.
“Then you’ve got to embrace the opportunity. Spokane is, to me, I’ve been all over the country playing games, and to me it’s top three, top five place in the country to play a college basketball game.
So anytime you have a chance to play in that environment, you’ve got to embrace it, you’ve got to enjoy it and take advantage of it.
“Tons of respect for coach Few, their program, what he’s done. We’re just going to enjoy the opportunity and go up there and compete at a high level and see what happens after 40 minutes.”
For Gonzaga, the game plan could hinge on whether Ike is available. In his absence, sophomore center Ismaila Diagne has stepped into the starting lineup.
He’s been active on the glass-pulling down a combined 18 rebounds over the last two games-but the offensive drop-off has been noticeable. Diagne has scored just five points on 2-of-6 shooting with four turnovers in those starts.
That’s led the Zags to experiment with smaller lineups, including looks with Jalen Warley playing as a small-ball center. Warley’s been one of Gonzaga’s most important glue guys since stepping into the starting five against Washington State. He’s averaging 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.6 steals-a stat line that speaks to his all-around impact.
So while the Zags are still heavy favorites at home, Saturday might not be the walk in the park it’s been in years past. San Francisco has talent, motivation, and maybe-finally-a little bit of timing on its side.
But if we’ve learned anything over the past few decades, it’s this: beating Gonzaga in Spokane is one of the toughest tasks in college basketball. And the Zags, even banged up, aren’t in the habit of giving up streaks without a fight.