In-game analysis of Gonzaga vs. North Florida college basketball game

Tracking the key storylines developing over the course of the Bulldogs' home game against the Ospreys

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Jalen Warley attempts a shot over North Florida Ospreys guard Devin Hines. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Not even 48 hours removed from an emphatic win over Kentucky, Gonzaga returned to the comforts of McCarthey Athletic Center looking to pass another test with North Florida in town.

It didn't feature the same kind of challenges the Wildcats posed from a physical or athletic standpoint, but Sunday night's nonconference tilt from the Kennel presented the Bulldogs (9-1) with the task of maintaining their focus on such a short turnaround ahead of another showdown against a blue blood opponent at the end of the week.

By the end of the first half, the Ospreys looked like the team that was running on fumes, while the Zags appeared more fresh and energized than one would expect following a 2,000-mile trip down south.

Graham Ike was in street clothes nursing ankle soreness, but it didn’t seem to impact Gonzaga much as the Bulldogs’ depth came through on both ends of the floor in a 109-58 beatdown of North Florida.

The 6-foot-9 forward watched from the bench in a matching zip-up hoodie and sweatpants as 12 of his teammates scored at least one points during Sunday’s blowout win, led by 24 points from his frontcourt partner, Braden Huff, and supplemented by double-digit outings from Tyon Grant-Foster (19), Davis Fogle (15), Mario Saint-Supéry (13) and Steele Venters (12).

Gonzaga shot 61.4% from the field and crossed the 100-point threshold for the third time in the 2025-26 season, all without its leading scorer in the lineup.

North Florida, led by 14 points from Trey Cady, made it competitive early on before a 20-0 scoring run from Gonzaga made it a 25-point game at halftime. The Ospreys shot 20-of-60 from the field (33.3%), including 10-of-38 from 3-point range, and committed 18 turnovers leading to 26 points for the Bulldogs. 

North Florida's lack of size was evident, as Gonzaga outrebounded the Ospreys, 48-25, and scored 23 points off 13 offensive rebounds.

North Florida's leading scorer, Kamrin Oriol, finished with 11 points after being held to two points after halftime. He came into Sunday averaging 17.5 points per game.

Here were the key storylines we were tracking throughout Sunday's game.

Energy Levels on Short Turnaround

Gonzaga didn't show any signs of wear and tear from its top 25 matchup just 72 hours earlier, with Huff diving on a couple of loose balls and Warley fighting on the boards on both ends of the floor.

Defensively, the Zags chase around the Ospreys' 3-point threats along the perimeter with urgency but gave up a few open looks in transition. North Florida wasn't able to capitalize much, though, as the Ospreys missed five in a row from deep while starting 4-of-18 from downtown and 9-of-26 overall from the field.

The Zags took advantage of the undersized Ospreys on the board, winning the battle on the glass, 24-12, at the half, while scoring 12 second chance points off six offensive rebounds.

Students began clearing out around halftime, but the Zags weren't done taking it to the Ospreys. A couple of 3s from Venters and Saint-Supéry capped off a 10-0 scoring run to open the second half, making it 63-28 with 17 minutes left in regulation. Some intense pick-and-roll defense led to four turnovers by North Florida in the opening minutes.

Gonzaga's Offense Without Ike

Without its leading scorer dominating the painted area, Gonzaga got going from the outside early on with a couple of 3-pointers from Steele Venters and Mario Saint-Supéry. Of course, Braden Huff was featured as well, though like most of the teams that have had to deal with the Zags' frontcourt, North Florida had to double-team Huff early on.

Four of the Bulldogs' first nine field goal attempts were from beyond the arc as Gonzaga jumped out to a 12-6 lead at the first media timeout.

The lead swelled to double-digits with several Zags contributing on the offensive end of the floor. Gonzaga jumped out to a 31-19 lead with just over 8 minutes left in the half after Innocenti scored off a nice dish from Saint-Supéry in the lane.

The Spanish guard knocked down a 3-pointer in the corner while getting fouled moments later, resulting in a 4-point play and making it 35-22 in favor of the Zags, who started 14-of-22 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3.

Gonzaga kept its foot on the gas to pull away from the visitors going into the half. The Zags got just about anything they wanted around the rim with Huff taking charge, while some hot shooting from behind the arc and intense defense helped fuel a 20-0 scoring run over a 5 minute stretch, ballooning Gonzaga's lead to 51-22 with just over 2 minutes left in the half.

Flexing the Depth

Ike's injury paved the way for Gonzaga's fifth different lineup of the season, underscoring the depth the Zags have at several positions without losing a step.

Warley, making his first start in a Gonzaga uniform, made his impact felt on the glass, while Saint-Supéry and Venters made their mark from the perimeter to provide Huff space inside the paint.

Ismaila Diagne, who came in around the 15 minute mark, made a nice hustle play as he jumped out of bounds to save a loose rebound under Gonzaga's hoop, resulting in an easy two points for Huff.

By halftime, nine of the 10 players who touched the floor for Gonzaga had scored at least two points, with Huff (16 points) and Saint-Supéry (10) leading the charge.

Davis Fogle stole the show in the second half with a few thunderous dunks and a sweet euro-step score off a behind-the-head pass from Saint-Supéry. Fogle scored a quick 10 points in his first 10 minutes off the bench before finishing with 15 on 7-for-10 shooting in 18 total minutes.