Gonzaga Survives San Francisco in Tight Battle, but Free Throws and Freshman Mistakes Leave Room for Growth
Gonzaga knows all too well how unforgiving close games can be. Last season, the Zags dropped all nine contests decided by one or two possessions - a brutal stat line that ultimately ended their NCAA Tournament hopes in the second round against No. 1 Houston.
This year, though? A different story is starting to take shape.
The eighth-ranked Bulldogs have only found themselves in two such nail-biters so far this season, but they’ve come out on top both times. Their latest escape act: a 68-66 win over San Francisco at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Saturday night. It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t perfect, but it was a win - one that could prove valuable as the Zags gear up for a stretch run that includes five more matchups against the teams directly beneath them in the West Coast Conference standings.
And they’re doing it without two of their key frontcourt anchors.
Fogle Steps Up - and Learns on the Fly
With Graham Ike and Braden Huff sidelined due to injuries, Gonzaga’s rotation has leaned heavily on youth. Enter Davis Fogle, the freshman wing from Anacortes, Washington, who’s embraced the moment with confidence and poise - even if there have been a few bumps along the way.
Fogle played a season-high 32 minutes against the Dons, tying Tyon Grant-Foster with a team-high 15 points. He also pulled down a season-best nine rebounds and added two steals, showcasing his all-around game. His 6-of-15 shooting line (1-of-6 from three) reflected a willingness to stay aggressive, even when the shots weren’t falling.
But late in the game, with Gonzaga up five and just over a minute remaining, Fogle made a decision that nearly swung the outcome. He attacked the rim early in the shot clock, driving into traffic and missing a contested layup. San Francisco capitalized immediately, knocking down a three to cut the lead to two.
It’s the kind of moment that comes with being a freshman in the fire. And Mark Few didn’t sugarcoat the learning opportunity.
“Don’t help in at the end of the game when they’re trying to shoot threes,” Few said. “And if you’re going to take it to the rack in a two-possession game, you sure as hell better make it. How’s that for teaching?”
Still, Fogle’s emergence has been timely. Over the last three games - all played without Ike and Huff - he’s been the only Zag to score in double figures each time, averaging 15 points per contest.
“I know these guys trust me,” Fogle said. “I’ve kind of been the guy on all my teams my whole life, but even when I wasn’t playing early in the year, I stayed ready. I knew my time would come.”
Right now, it’s his time - and Gonzaga’s leaning on him more than ever.
Dons Adjust Without Ike and Huff - But Still Get Beat in the Paint
San Francisco head coach Chris Gerlufsen has had his fair share of matchups with Gonzaga, including the Drew Timme era. But for the first time since taking over the program, he entered a game against the Zags without having to prepare for a dominant low-post presence - or so it seemed.
With Huff out for a fourth straight game (left knee) and Ike missing his third in a row (right ankle), the Dons had to prep for two different versions of Gonzaga: one with a traditional big man, and one with a small-ball lineup.
Gerlufsen credited his staff for the game plan, noting that they prepared for both scenarios. But even without their frontcourt stars, the Zags still won the battle inside - and convincingly. Gonzaga outscored USF 36-12 in the paint, using spacing and dribble penetration to carve up the Dons’ defense in a different way.
“They still got us in the paint without having those two forces inside,” Gerlufsen said. “It was a different kind of getting into the paint.
They spaced us out, got downhill, drew fouls, got to the line. They did a good job of adjusting.”
That adaptability has become a hallmark of this Gonzaga team - and it could be crucial as they wait for Ike and Huff to get back to full strength.
Free Throws Nearly Sink the Zags - Again
For all the things Gonzaga does well - and there are plenty - free-throw shooting remains a glaring weakness. The Zags entered the weekend near the bottom of the WCC and ranked No. 250 nationally at 69% from the line.
Saturday’s performance didn’t help. Gonzaga went just 11-of-22 (50%) at the stripe, leaving the door wide open for San Francisco to hang around.
It wasn’t their worst percentage of the season, but given the volume of attempts and the closeness of the game, it was arguably their most frustrating outing at the line. For comparison: they shot 45% (5-of-11) against Oklahoma and 40% (4-of-10) in a blowout win over LMU.
But those games didn’t come down to the wire. This one did.
“Golly man, we got to the free-throw line and just didn’t step up,” Few said. “That’s disappointing.
We’ve been shooting 100 a day now for a month and a half. Obviously we need to kind of step up and do a much, much better job of that.”
Tyon Grant-Foster, who’s shooting just 60% from the line this season, went 2-of-8. Jalen Warley was the lone bright spot, hitting 5-of-7.
“Shoot, if we make our free throws it’s not even a game,” Grant-Foster said. “We win by 15 points.
It’s really on us. We’re a team, we can beat ourselves at times, but if we play the game the right way, play together, we can compete with anybody.”
The Bottom Line
Gonzaga’s win over San Francisco wasn’t perfect, but it was gritty - and that might matter more in March than any blowout. They’re learning how to win the close ones this season, something they couldn’t quite figure out last year. And they’re doing it with a short-handed lineup, relying on a freshman who’s playing like he belongs and a team that’s finding ways to adapt on the fly.
Still, the free-throw woes and late-game execution leave room for growth. With more tight games likely on the horizon in the WCC, the Zags will need to clean those areas up if they want to make a deep postseason run.
For now, they’ll take the win - and the lessons that came with it.