Gonzaga finds unexpected offensive spark in first half against Purdue

The first game of the college basketball season for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs is halfway done, with the Zags carrying a 36-33 lead into the break over the Purdue Boilermakers.

It was a back-and-forth half between these two programs, with plenty of highlight-reel plays and also a lot of reminders that this is the first game of the year - and there are a lot of new faces on each squad.

The star for Gonzaga was - unsurprisingly - Davis Fogle, who took over in the final few minutes of the half, recording a game-high 11 points, with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 16 minutes. He shot 4-7 on twos and 1-3 from three, using his long arms to finish multiple acrobatic lay-ins under the basket over bewildered Purdue defenders.

Hot shooting from Zags

Oct 24, 2026; Fayetteville, AK, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Xaivian Lee (5) shoots a three-point shot during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga did not waste any time establishing the outside shot, with an unlikely player - Massamba Diop - hitting the first three, and scoring the first points, of the season.

Davis Fogle and Javon Bennett each hit as well, while Xaivian Lee went 2-2 from deep late in the half to quiet what is a very pro-Purdue crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Gonzaga finished the first frame 5-9 (56%) from three, a welcome sight after last year's, and last week's, struggles from the perimeter.

After shooting a horrendous 6-28 (21.4%) from three against Arkansas, and only 9-27 (33.3%) from deep against NAIA opponent Lewis-Clark State, it was more than relieving to see the Zags burning the nets in the first 20 minutes of the season - against a good Purdue team to boot.

New bigs playing well

Gonzaga Bulldogs center Massamba Diop. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Diop had far and away the best half of his (very young) Gonzaga career, not only drilling a three to start the game, but blocking a shot clean out of bounds to establish his paint presence early, and then leading a fast break with a beautiful entry pass over the top to Braden Huff for an easy bucket.

He finished the half with five points on 2-3 shooting, along with a pair of rebounds and the block. He does have two fouls, which will be a big thing to watch in the second half, but overall a strong performance from the Arizona State transfer and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Watch List candidate.

Meanwhile, Almansa continued to look outstanding for the Zags as the third big, playing 12 minutes and scoring four points on 2-3 shooting along with a team-leading three rebounds.

His floor vision and awareness, good defensive positioning, and play finishing have been tremendous so far in a Gonzaga uniform.

Gonzaga will look to keep the hot shooting going in the second half, which will get underway on TNT and HBO MAX.

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