Gonzaga handles business against Northwest in college basketball exhibition game

Zags thump Eagles in friendly at the Kennel

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Braeden Smith (3). | Photo by Myk Crawford

An exhibition against an NAIA constituent provided the Gonzaga men's basketball an opportunity to iron out some wrinkles two weeks ahead of its 2025-26 season opener against Texas Southern.

Northwest kept the game competitive for the first few minutes before the Zags found their rhythm against the private Christian school from Kirkland, Washington, routing the Eagles 111-62 in front of a crowded McCarthey Athletic Center.

Five Zags scored in double-figures, with freshman wing Davis Fogle leading all scorers at 18 points. Gonzaga shot 54.1% from the field and scored 32 points off 22 turnovers from Northwest.

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2ND HALF

Zags looking to close it out: Following a 9-0 scoring run, Gonzaga looked to close out the final 3 minutes and change of its first exhibition game on a strong note and come away without any injuries. Zags shot above 60% from the field while holding the Eagles to below 40% from the field (104-57, 2:39).

Bulldogs blowing the doors off Eagles: Gonzaga remained in full control throughout the second half, going up by as 40 after Mario Saint-Supéry drilled his first 3-pointer of the ballgame (92-52, 7:13).

Gonzaga keeps it rolling: After Davis Fogle threw down his second dunk of the night, Braden Huff and Jalen Warley scored on back-to-back possessions, ballooning Gonzaga's lead to 36 points with under 12 minutes to play in regulation. Northwest started the second half 7-of-16 from the floor with five turnovers (78-45, 11:10).

Everyone gets a point: Mario Saint-Supéry's pair of makes at the free-throw line put the freshman guard on the board for the first time this afternoon. Everyone for the Zags made it on the scoreboard (73-40, 13:13).

Zags come out firing: Gonzaga made six of its first eight attempts from the field to maintain momentum and control coming out of the halftime break. Adam Miller got a tough layup in traffic to drop — plus the foul — to give the Zags their largest lead of the night (66-40, 15:18).

HALFTIME

• Gonzaga 50, Northwest 28: A solid stretch from the Zags' bench extended the home team's lead to 22 at the halftime break. Gonzaga tightened up defensively over the final 10 minutes, allowing the visitor's to convert just five attempts from the field after the Bulldogs' advantage was trimmed to just five with under 11 minutes left in the first half. Zags tacked on 18 points off 11 turnovers from the Eagles and outscored their NAIA foe, 29-12, over the final 11 minutes of the half.

• Free throw woes: Gonzaga struggled to add free points on the board, going 13-of-23 from the charity stripe.

• Balanced attack: Six players for Gonzaga scored five or more points in the first half, with Braeden Smith and Graham Ike leading the way at 10 points apiece. Steele Venters chipped in nine points, plus three rebounds and a steal, in 15 minutes of play. Freshman guard Mario Saint-Supéry was the only Zag without a made field goal.

Steele & BSmith with some 3's! pic.twitter.com/zbIWrmIldj

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) October 19, 2025

1ST HALF

Fogle impacting both ends: Freshman wing Davis Fogle couldn't get his first layup to go, but got a second try to go down to put Gonzaga up by 18 points. The ensuing Northwest possession, Fogle swatted a layup attempt from Nik Ellul, extending the Eagles' scoring drought to 2 minutes long (39-21, 3:35).

Warley punches it home: A missed shot from the Eagles turned into a fastbreak opportunity for the Zags. Braeden Smith raced out ahead alongside Jalen Warley and lobbed it to the Florida State transfer for a two-hand dunk, extending the Zags' lead and pushing their scoring run to 12-0 (33-16, 7:59).

Steele getting involved: Gonzaga's sharpshooting wing knocked down his first 3 of the afternoon and the team's second to go up a dozen after the Zags hit a bit of a lull offensively (28-16, 8:44).

Zags hit drought: Gonzaga struggled to find the bottom of the net without its frontcourt tandem in the game, enduring a 3 minute stretch without a basket as the Eagles trimmed their deficit with another Andrew Iyamah (17-14, 11:42).

Zags respond with quick spurt: Gonzaga went on 8-0 run, capped off by a high-low feed from Braden Huff to Graham Ike, to go up 17-8. Eagles guard Nik Ellul drove by Braeden Smith to break Northwest's scoring drought, while getting fouled by Braden Huff (17-11, 15:05).

Eagles came to play: Andrew Iyamah quickly got himself comfortable with the Kennel's baskets, draining two 3s early on — including one off the glass — to give his Eagles a spark early (13-8, 16:20).

Zags get on the board first: A common connection for the Zags got them on the board first, with Graham Ike finishing off a 3-point play after Braden Huff found him cutting to the basket. Andrew Iyamah answered for Northwest the ensuing possession (6-3, 18:33).

PREGAME

Starters: Gonzaga trotting out Braeden Smith, Adam Miller, Steele Venters, Graham Ike and Braden Huff. Emmanuel Innocenti, who injured his hip during Kraziness in the Kennel, was in street clothes during pregame warm-ups.