Gonzaga’s defense fuels blowout win over San Francisco

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs picked up their 35th consecutive win over the San Francisco Dons Wednesday night at the Chase Center, using a dominant second half to coast to an 80-59 victory.

The win puts the Zags at 26-2 overall and 14-1 in conference play, giving them a full one-game lead over both Saint Mary's and Santa Clara with three WCC games remaining.

Mario Saint-Supery returned to the starting lineup for Gonzaga, and his work on both ends of the floor was instrumental in the Zags pulling away in the second half.

Below is a look at three key takeaways from Gonzaga's big time win over the Dons:

1. Relentless perimeter defense

Last month in Spokane, the Dons shot about as well as you can from the three-point line, scorching the nets with a 14-28 performance - the most threes Gonzaga has surrendered all year long.

Coach Few made sure that didn't happen again on Wednesday night. Gonzaga deployed relentless ball pressure all game long on the perimeter, forcing USF to shoot with hands in their face for the full 40 minutes.

Feb 18, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few reacts during the first half against the San Francisco Dons at Chase Center. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The end result was an ugly 5-24 night for the Dons from three, including a miserable 1-11 showing in the first half.

USF's inability to get good looks on the perimeter contributed to their offense fully stalling out, and Gonzaga took full advantage by getting their hands all over the basketball, with countless deflections leading to a whopping 11 steals on the night.

San Francisco totaled 13 turnovers, and Gonzaga turned those turnovers into 17 points.

Emmanuel Innocenti (four steals) Adam Miller (2) and Saint-Supery (2) were huge factors on the perimeter, but it was a group effort that kept USF off balance offensively for all 40 minutes.

2. Mario Saint-Supery is PG1 (again)

Saint-Supery played 33 minutes on Saturday against Santa Clara while Gonzaga's starter, Braeden Smith, played just seven - so it wasn't exactly a shock to see the freshman step back into the starting lineup on Wednesday.

And the 6'3 freshman let everyone know he's here to stay.

The Spaniard scored the first points of the game for Gonzaga on a mid-range jumper, and played cool and in control all night long - even with USF throwing all sorts of different looks at the Zags.

Feb 18, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Dons forward Junjie Wang (35) looks to pass the ball during the second half against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery (17) at Chase Center. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Saint-Supery finished with 14 points, six assists, and just one turnover while shooting 4-6 from the field and 2-3 from three. His active hands on defense led to a pair of steals and multiple deflections, and he even capitalized with a one-handed dunk in transition early in the second half.

Smith had started 14 games in a row for Gonzaga dating back to Dec. 21 against Oregon, but Saint-Supery has been shooting really well and has learned to play more in control, which could not be coming at a better time for coach Few and the Zags.

3. Adam Miller has found a groove

It's been an up-and-down season for senior guard Adam Miller, who has not been as effective spacing the floor as Gonzaga fans hoped he would when he joined the team via the transfer portal from Arizona State.

However, the 6'3 guard has found a rhythm these past two games, making big plays on both ends of the floor and earning significant playing time in the process.

Feb 18, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Adam Miller (23) looks to pass the ball during the second half against San Francisco Dons guard Tyrone Riley IV (5) at Chase Center. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Fresh off a season-high 21 points on the road against Santa Clara on Saturday, Miller dropped nine points on 4-6 shooting against the Dons, while chipping in three assists and two steals.

While he did knock down a three for the Zags, most of his work offensively came off curl screens, where he was able to get into the lane and rise up with a little 8-foot floater. He ultimately finished a perfect 3-3 on two-point attempts, and his ability to find other ways to help this team is the reason he's been in the starting lineup the last 11 games.

Gonzaga returns to Spokane to take on the Pacific Tigers on Saturday in the lone matchup between these two teams this year. The game will tip off at 6:00 PM PT on ESPN+.

1. Relentless perimeter defense

2. Mario Saint-Supery is PG1 (again)

3. Adam Miller has found a groove

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