Gonzaga’s biggest weakness resurfaces in exhibition loss to Arkansas

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs lost their first exhibition game of the season, 76-72, on the road against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday afternoon.

Gonzaga was without star sophomore Davis Fogle (leg), who sat out for precautionary reasons, as well as forward Chauncey Wiggins, who remains ineligible while his lawsuit in Georgia is stayed.

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It certainly looked like an exhibition game between the two top 15 teams on Saturday, with a lot of sloppy turnovers early on. Gonzaga held a lead for most of the first half, stretching to as big as 10 with four minutes to go, but Arkansas went on an extended 18-0 run between the two halves and led the rest of the way, with strong outside shooting and a big game from junior returner Billy Richmond III.

Below is a look at three takeaways from Gonzaga’s first exhibition game of the season:

1. Gonzaga’s three-point shooting problems aren’t going away

Last year was the worst three point shooting season in Mark Few’s history at Gonzaga, a feat he hopes the team won’t repeat in 2026-27.

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Saturday wasn’t exactly a promising sign, however, with the Zags missing their first 11(!) attempts from beyond the arc before Izan Almansa hit from the corner with 4:15 left in the first half. Things really didn’t improve much in the final 20 minutes, with Gonzaga finishing a putrid 6-28 in the game.

Oct 24, 2026; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nathan de Sousa (7) shoots a three-point shot during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fogle, who went 6-7 from three at Kraziness, and Wiggins – who shot 39% on 6.0 attempts per game last year at Florida State – are both expected to help the team’s perimeter scoring this upcoming season, but even still, it was a disheartening performance by the Zags – with projected outside shooters like Luca Foster (0-4), Javon Bennett (0-4), and Nathan de Sousa (1-8) all struggling to hit from deep.

2. Isiah Harwell gives Gonzaga…

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Publish date : 2026-10-24 22:21:00

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