It's hard to blame fans for not showing up considering that the snowy, foggy, slushy weather outside made the roads a sketchy proposition, and the early 6 pm tip-off time meant that anyone trekking down for the game from the Spokane area likely would've had to take off early from work to make it. When they saw the snowfall, it's safe to assume many just bailed.
But while it was far from the anticipated packed-to-the-rafters feel, it was still great to see the Zags play in Pullman again for the first time in over a decade. Sure, Gonzaga ended up pretty easily running away with the game, but that was the expected outcome. The bigger deal was the Inland Northwest rivalry fully sparking up again after a too-long hiatus.
One of the few frustrating things about Gonzaga's program during Mark Few's tenure has been the lack of play against regional opponents. While it hasn't always been Gonzaga's decision (coughcoughUniversityofWashingtoncoughcough), the fact that the Zags rarely play the nearby schools (WSU, UW, Eastern Washington, Seattle U, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana) has been a bit disheartening.
Admittedly, these matchups would have very little upside from Coach Few's perspective. Those programs within driving distance are often notches below GU and wins against those squads wouldn't benefit the Bulldogs' NCAA Tournament resume. A win for the Zags in these games would basically be meaningless while a win for the opponents would be monumental, but avoiding them altogether takes something away from Inland Northwest hoops as a whole.
It's not Gonzaga's job to metaphorically lift all boats when it comes to Northwest basketball, but it's something they could do if they desired. It's something the Zags are familiar with in the WCC. For years, they've been the one hot ticket for sleepy hoops programs like San Diego and Loyola Marymount, with schools like that building whole ticket packages around getting a chance to see Gonzaga play. Maybe the cutthroat NIL era has skewed things beyond any nostalgic communal inklings, but the idea of a university helping out the larger athletic community in the surrounding area still seems like something to strive to achieve.
Perhaps there's a fear that giving schools like WSU and EWU regular shots at knocking off the Zags would somehow lessen Gonzaga's grip on Northwest hoops supremacy, but the WCC results show otherwise. Even when San Francisco or Santa Clara occasionally topple the Zags, the Bulldogs still remain at the top of the heap.
While battle with Washington State will now be the norm with Gonzaga's upcoming move to the Pac-12 in 2026, it would still be great to see the Zags schedule the other regional teams a bit more often.
Instead of playing teams like Nicholls State and CSU Bakersfield in a no-vibes McCarthey Athletic Center during the students' holiday break each December, couldn't Gonzaga carve out a slot in the Spokane Arena for a regional showdown game against Idaho, EWU, or Montana?
Wouldn't that be more fun for just about everybody?
More Game Notes
*While Beasley wasn't full, we should give some credit to WSU's student section, which was on their feet the whole game trying to get the Cougars some energy. Even when their guys were down 20+ in the second half, nobody sat and the crowd didn't start to thin out until the final 10 minutes of blowout time.*Beasley has an in-house DJ, which is a pretty cool idea, but it's less than ideal when the home team is getting rocked. Also, I'm not sure all the aggressive hip-hop mixing leading up to the game really fits the general Pullman crowd.
*A weird as it sounds, sometimes less than ideal seating can help you notice something about the game that others would overlook. My view of the left side of the court when WSU was on offense was blocked by a very tall student who was standing in the back row, and it became very clear that the Cougs almost never use the left side of the floor because I was hardly ever bothered by the obstruction. Coach David Riley might want to consider a bit more floor balance on offense.
*As far as actual takeaways from how the Zags played, the most encouraging aspect was not only did the Zags force the issue on offense leading to frequent free throw chances, they also knocked them down at a stellar rate (19-20). Throw in hot shooting from behind the arc from Nolan Hickman (4-5) and Dusty Stromer (2-3) and you've got the formula for winning that has sometimes been missing in Gonzaga's losses so far this season. Hopefully they can keep up those hot shooting ways for the critical showdown with St. Mary's this Saturday in Spokane.
UP NEXT
Men
Gonzaga vs. St. Mary's • Sat, Feb. 22 at 5 pm • ESPN2
Gonzaga at Santa Clara • Tue, Feb. 25 at 8 pm • CBS Sports Network
Women
Gonzaga vs. San Francisco • Sat, Feb. 22 at Noon • ESPN+
