Preview: Gonzaga take on Portland in final home game of the season

Originally posted on Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI
By Andy Patton | Last updated Feb 24, 2026 5:45 PM ET

The 2025-26 college basketball season is rapidly approaching the finish line, with Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs playing one last home game at the McCarthey Athletic Center this week.

The Zags will host the Portland Pilots on Wednesday, Feb. 25, before closing the regular season in Moraga against the Gaels of Saint Mary's.

Gonzaga will get a chance to celebrate their seniors before the game on Wednesday, and hopes to end the game celebrating a share of first place in the WCC - and the No. 1 seed in the WCC Tournament - both of which are solidified if they take care of business against the Pilots.

That is, of course, no guarantee considering what happened earlier in the month. The Zags went to the Chiles Center back on Feb. 7 and were handed an embarrassing 87-80 defeat, in what was arguably the worst loss in Mark Few's career. Gonzaga led for just 32 seconds against the Pilots in that contest, showing a complete inability to slow down Australian freshman Joel Foxwell, who poured in 27 points with eight assists in the victory.

Gonzaga has responded well since the defeat, rattling off five straight wins, including a road victory over Santa Clara and 20+ point wins against Oregon State, Washington State, and San Francisco. The Zags didn't look particularly sharp on Saturday against Pacific, but still managed a 71-62 win thanks to a strong second half from Graham Ike and a well-rounded performance from Davis Fogle, who dropped 18 off the bench.

Portland, meanwhile, was unable to build on the monumental victory, going 1-3 since picking up its first win against Gonzaga in 12 years. The Pilots defeated Seattle at home before losing three straight - at San Diego, home against Pepperdine, and at Seattle - to fall to 12-17 overall and 5-11 in the WCC.

Ike will once again be heavily relied upon for the Zags in this one. The 6'9 big man was swarmed by double teams at the Chiles Center last time out, and will need to fight through them in order to get his paint touches on Wednesday.

Ike, Jalen Warley, Adam Miller, Tyon Grant-Foster, Steele Venters, and Noah Haaland are the presumed honorees for Gonzaga on Senior Night - a group that by and large has been instrumental in the team's success this season.