Gonzaga loss opens door for Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s in WCC race

West Coast Conference title race heats up after Gonzaga falls to Portland

Saint Mary's Gaels head coach Randy Bennett (left) and Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few (right). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs didn't just take a shocking loss to the Portland Pilots on Wednesday night; they opened the door for someone else to win the West Coast Conference in 2026.

Gonzaga's loss on Wednesday dropped them into second place in the WCC, 0.5 games behind Santa Clara (11-1) and one game ahead of Saint Mary's (9-2).

It's extremely unprecedented to see someone other than the Zags or Gaels in first place in the conference in February. In fact, the last time it happened was 24 years ago in 2002 when Pepperdine - then led by Paul Westphal - started league play 11-0. Few was in his third year at Gonzaga while Randy Bennett was a first-year coach at Saint Mary's.

Those two teams will face each other in Moraga on Feb. 25, just three days before Gonzaga and Saint Mary's close out the regular season. Before that, Santa Clara will play at Washington State, home against Seattle and Gonzaga, and at San Francisco, before closing at home vs Oregon State.

Gonzaga has seven conference games remaining, including one each against Santa Clara and Saint Mary's. The Zags take on the Broncos next Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Leavey Center and will face the Gaels in Moraga in the final regular season game of the year on Feb. 28.

Santa Clara Broncos head coach Herb Sendek. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Those matchups now carry major significance, both in terms of winning the regular season title outright and as potential tiebreakers should they become necessary. Gonzaga is in an advantageous position, having already beaten Santa Clara and Saint Mary's, while the Broncos defeated the Gaels in their lone matchup thus far, back at the Leavey Center on Jan. 17.

Those two teams will face each other in Moraga on Feb. 25, just three days before Gonzaga and Saint Mary's close out the regular season. Before that Santa Clara will play at Washington State, home against Seattle and Gonzaga, and at San Francisco, before closing at home vs Oregon State.

Meanwhile, the Gaels are at home against San Francisco and Pepperdine, on the road against Pacific, Seattle, and WSU, and then at home against Santa Clara and Gonzaga.

Saint Mary's Gaels guard Joshua Dent (7). | Photo by Myk Crawford

If Gonzaga beats Santa Clara, and these three teams otherwise take care of business against the rest of the conference, we will have a 14-2 SMC vs 13-2 Santa Clara on Feb. 25, with 15-1 Gonzaga facing Portland at home that evening before the SMC game two days later - putting them in a good spot to win the league outright or at least secure a share of the regular season title.

Should Gonzaga lose to the Broncos on Feb. 14, we'd have 14-1 Santa Clara, 14-2 SMC, and 14-2 Gonzaga going into that final week of the season, setting up a chaotic, fun, and messy final few games of conference play for the Zags in the West Coast Conference.

For now, the team will turn its attention solely to winning this Saturday in Corvallis against a 6-6 Oregon State squad. The Zags and Beavers are set to tip at 3:00 PM PT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.