Purdue came away from Las Vegas with a clear split-screen view of where this team is headed in its new era: there’s real upside here, and there are still plenty of rough edges.
The No. 24 Boilermakers pushed No.
12 Gonzaga into a second-half fight at the Naismith Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena, but the comeback never fully landed in a 78-72 season-opening loss. Purdue had chances to swing the game late, yet the Bulldogs kept finding answers at the line and the Boilermakers couldn’t make enough shots from deep to finish the job.
Gonzaga’s edge at the stripe told the story of the second half. The Bulldogs scored 25 of their 42 points after halftime from the free throw line, taking advantage of Purdue’s foul trouble and turning the game into a grind. That was especially costly once Daniel Jacobsen started piling up whistles.
Jacobsen’s third foul came with 16:33 left while Purdue was trailing 41-40, and Gonzaga immediately used his absence to go on a 10-2 burst. When he briefly returned, Purdue got a small 4-0 push, but Jacobsen picked up his fourth foul and had to sit again. Gonzaga stretched the lead back to nine with him on the bench, and Purdue eventually had no choice but to put him back in with four fouls at the 8:47 mark.
Even then, the Boilermakers kept hanging around. They trimmed the margin to 68-66 with a possession left to make it a one-play game, but a missed fastbreak chance stalled the rally and Purdue never got over the top.
The shooting numbers were another problem. Purdue finished just 5-of-21 from 3-point range, a 23.8% clip that echoed the issues it had against UConn.
Still, there were bright spots. Jacobsen was one of them.
The 7-foot-4 center scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and was plus-4 while on the floor. He also added 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a block in 27 minutes, even as foul trouble limited his impact in the second half.
CJ Cox chipped in 11 points, along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, but Purdue needed more from him, especially with the perimeter shot not falling. He went 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Caden Pierce also gave Purdue something to build on. In a limited sample during three exhibition games, he hadn’t shown the full package, but against Gonzaga he brought energy on the glass, finishing with 6 rebounds. He also went 3-for-3 for 7 points and added a steal.
For Gonzaga, Davis Fogle was the difference-maker. He scored a career-high 22 points and got there by living at the free throw line, going 9-for-10. He also added 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.
The night also marked a first for Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who finally got a win over Purdue after dropping his previous five meetings against the Boilermakers. Few, who is set for 2026 Naismith Hall of Fame induction, watched his team survive Purdue’s push and close out the opener.
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