Gonzaga’s 84-60 wipeout of Pepperdine stretched its series dominance to 51 straight wins—one shy of the NCAA record—and kept the Bulldogs on pace for a No. 1 seed despite missing two front-court starters.
Short-handed Zags keep rolling
Davis Fogle poured in 17 points and Mario Saint-Supery flirted with a 12-point, 5-rebound, 5-steal stat-line as No. 8 Gonzaga cruised past Pepperdine 84-60 inside a sold-out McCarthey Athletic Center. The victory lifts the Bulldogs to 20-1 overall, 8-0 in the West Coast Conference and—more notably—51-0 against the Waves since Feb. 18, 2002.
Gonzaga played without its leading scorer and rebounder Graham Ike (ankle) and stretch-big Braden Huff (knee, 3-7 week timeline), yet still never trailed. The Bulldogs ripped off a 16-2 first-half burst to turn a seven-point edge into a 21-point rout, out-running Pepperdine 18-2 in fast-break points and holding the Waves to 13.6 percent from deep (3-of-22).
One win from the record book
The 51-game streak sits one victory behind the Division I record: UCLA’s 52 straight over Cal from 1961-85. Gonzaga will get its first shot at the mark next season; the teams meet twice a year through at least 2027 under the WCC’s current scheduling model.
Until then, the Bulldogs own college basketball’s longest active head-to-head winning streak and the most lopsided modern rivalry in the sport. Pepperdine’s last win in Spokane came on Feb. 19, 1998—26 visits ago.
Depth on display
Mark Few’s rotation has weathered injuries all winter. Against Pepperdine, six players reached double figures:
- Davis Fogle – 17 pts, 4-6 FG in first half
- Mario Saint-Supery – 12 pts, 5 reb, 5 stl
- Tyon Grant-Foster – 12 pts, game-high +26
- Adam Miller – 11 pts, 3 ast
- Noah Haaland – 10 pts, 8 reb, two late put-backs that pushed lead to 30
- Ismaila Diagne – 0 pts, 10 reb, 3 blk, defensive anchor
The balanced output kept alive Gonzaga’s NCAA-best streak of 29 consecutive 20-win seasons, trailing only Kansas (37) on the all-time list ESPN.
Pepperdine’s reality check
First-year coach Ed Schilling is still searching for answers. The Waves shot 37.9 percent overall, were bulldozed on the glass 42-28 and dropped to 1-7 in league play. Styles Phipps (13 pts) and Aaron Clark (10 pts) provided brief sparks, but Pepperdine has now lost seven of its last eight and 14 of 16 overall.
The program’s last NCAA tournament win remains 2002—the same year Gonzaga’s streak began.
Bracket implications
Gonzaga’s NET ranking (No. 3 entering the week) and quad-1 ledger (4-1) remain strong enough for a top-two seed, but the Selection Committee will monitor Ike’s ankle and Huff’s knee. The 6-11 duo combines for 27 ppg and 12 rpg; their availability could swing the West Region’s balance of power.
Thursday’s bracket reveal from the NCAA’s top-16 show will offer an early clue. A No. 1 seed is in play if the Bulldogs sweep Saint Mary’s on Feb. 22 and close 15-1 or better in the WCC.
What’s next
Gonzaga visits San Francisco on Saturday, then returns home for a Feb. 1 date with Santa Clara. Pepperdine heads to Portland, still chasing its first road win of the year. Circle next January on the calendar: that’s when the Bulldogs get their first crack at history—win No. 52 and the NCAA record all to themselves.
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