Gonzaga Throttles New Mexico State in Home Opener: 109-68

Gonzaga’s home opener against the New Mexico State Aggies came live from the McCarthy Athletic Center, and for all but two guys on the roster, this was the first time playing in front of one of the most terrifying student sections in college basketball. It was never supposed to be close, and it wasn’t, ultimately, but it was closer than it should have been for longer than it should have been. The Zags played without Izan Almansa, who was nursing a lower leg injury, and the absence gave fans a 40-minute look at what this team would be without him: not terrible, but clearly missing something vital in the interior. They’re also still without 6-foot-11 three-point specialist Chauncey Wiggins, whose eligibility requests have now been bounced from two different circuit courts and who entered his name into a third in Spokane County last week (the same court that granted Tyon Grant-Foster’s eligibility in the nick of time last season).

High profile five-star recruit Jalen Davis was in attendance and the Zags put on an absolute show for the long-time target out of Bremerton, WA. It was exactly the kind of game that looks like it was fun to play, alongside high-IQ bucket-getters playing within a crisp, efficient offensive scheme. If I were Jalen Davis, coming to Gonzaga to play that kind of basketball in front of that kind of crowd would be a no-brainer.

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Davis Fogle remains Davis Fogle, finishing tied for a team high with 22 pionts alongside Isiah Harwell. The Huff-Diop frontcourt pairing has entered the “getting there” stage of the early season, with plenty to be excited about and a few things to keep an eye on. Xaivian Lee didn’t chip in much in terms of points, but distributed at an extremely high clip and also took spectacular care of the basketball throughout. With the exception of Carter Nilson, every Zag on the roster got minutes against New Mexico State, including Alonzo Metz, who somehow left with the game’s highlight despite going 0-for-2 from the field in…

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Publish date : 2026-11-08 10:33:00

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