In 27 seasons under Mark Few, Gonzaga has built a reputation for consistency, excellence, and resilience. With just 153 losses in 902 games - an average of 5.6 per season - the Zags have rarely found themselves on the wrong end of a blowout. So when they fell to Michigan by a staggering 40 points in the championship game of the Players Era Festival, it wasn’t just a loss - it was a statistical and emotional outlier.
That 101-61 defeat wasn’t just the largest margin of defeat in the Few era - it was only the 11th time Gonzaga has lost by 20 or more points during his tenure. And of those 11, just six came during the regular season.
The others? NCAA Tournament exits against elite programs.
So where does Gonzaga go from here? Friday brings another major test, this time against No.
18 Kentucky in Nashville. And while past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, it’s worth looking back at how previous Gonzaga teams have responded after taking a heavy punch in the regular season.
Here’s a look at the five other 20-point regular-season losses under Few - and how the Zags bounced back.
Dec. 29, 2000 - Boise State 94, Gonzaga 69
This was early in Few’s head coaching career - just his second season at the helm - and the Zags were still finding their footing as a rising mid-major power. They had already taken a loss to Arizona and barely escaped Montana before heading to Boise, where things unraveled quickly.
Down 44-33 at halftime, Gonzaga couldn’t recover, falling by 25 in what, at the time, was their worst loss in nearly a decade. The road trip continued with a loss to Florida, and the Zags dropped two of their next three after that.
But then came the turnaround. Gonzaga ripped off 20 wins in their next 21 games, eventually making it back to the Sweet 16 before falling to Michigan State. That early-season stumble turned into a springboard - a theme that would repeat itself in future years.
Jan. 3, 2007 - Virginia 108, Gonzaga 87
The 2006-07 season was a bumpy ride, and this 21-point drubbing in Charlottesville capped a four-game losing streak. Gonzaga was buried by halftime, trailing 60-26, and while they clawed back to outscore Virginia in the second half, the damage was already done.
Derek Raivio dropped 26 points and hit six of eight from deep, but the Zags had no answer for Sean Singletary, who torched them for 37 points and seven threes.
Gonzaga regrouped to start WCC play strong, winning their first three conference games. But the inconsistency lingered - they lost four more times before March and bowed out early in the NCAA Tournament with a 70-57 loss to Indiana. This was one of the rare seasons where Gonzaga never quite found its rhythm.
Dec. 19, 2009 - Duke 76, Gonzaga 41
This one was ugly. At Madison Square Garden, no less.
Gonzaga didn’t have a single player in double figures, shot just 15-of-54 from the field, and turned the ball over 18 times. Duke’s defense - led by Kyle Singler, Miles Plumlee, and a young Jon Scheyer - smothered the Zags from start to finish.
Robert Sacre led the team with nine points, but it was a night to forget offensively. Gonzaga managed just one three-pointer on 10 attempts.
But as has so often been the case, the Zags didn’t dwell on it. They came out in their next game and blew out Eastern Washington by 42 points, then went on to win 27 games and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Another heavy loss, another strong response.
Dec. 8, 2010 - Washington State 81, Gonzaga 59
This one stung a little extra. It was a rivalry game against Washington State, and it came just before Gonzaga would embark on a dominant stretch in the series. But in 2010, the Cougars - led by a young Klay Thompson - had their way.
The Zags trailed by just six at halftime, but turnovers (25 of them) and Thompson’s 24 points, including four threes, turned a close game into a rout.
That marked Gonzaga’s fourth loss of the season, and a fifth came shortly after at Notre Dame. But while WCC play brought some turbulence - including a stretch where the Zags lost four of six - they still managed to win the conference tournament and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where they eventually lost to Jimmer Fredette and BYU.
Jan. 1, 2012 - Saint Mary’s 83, Gonzaga 62
Saint Mary’s has always been Gonzaga’s biggest WCC rival, and in 2012, the Gaels had the Zags’ number - at least on this night. Matthew Dellavedova was the problem. The Aussie point guard poured in 26 points, hit five threes, and dished out six assists in a 21-point win.
Gonzaga responded the way you’d expect. They won their next four games and got revenge on Saint Mary’s with a 14-point win in Spokane. The two teams met again in the WCC title game, and Dellavedova once again proved to be the difference, scoring 22 in an overtime win for the Gaels.
Still, Gonzaga earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, beat West Virginia in the first round, and lost to Ohio State in the second. Another season where a tough loss didn’t derail the bigger picture.
What This All Tells Us
If there’s one thread that runs through all of these lopsided losses, it’s that Gonzaga doesn’t stay down for long. Even in seasons where they’ve taken a few on the chin, Few’s teams have consistently found their footing - often quickly - and turned early adversity into late-season momentum.
The Michigan loss was historic in terms of margin, but not in terms of impact - at least not yet. The Zags have been here before. And more often than not, they’ve responded with a vengeance.
Friday’s matchup against Kentucky offers a timely chance to do just that. It’s a high-profile game against a ranked opponent on a national stage - exactly the kind of opportunity Gonzaga has used in the past to reassert itself.
We’ll see if history repeats itself. If it does, don’t be surprised if this Michigan loss ends up being just another footnote in a season that still has plenty of potential.