Gonzaga drops to No. 12 in AP Poll after Portland upset, then steadies in WCC play

A ranking reset after a rare West Coast Conference stumble

Gonzaga fell out of the Associated Press men’s basketball top 10 on Feb. 9, sliding six spots from No. 6 to No. 12, after a road loss at Portland that snapped a long run of dominance in the series. The drop matched the largest decline in that week’s poll movement and reflected how quickly a single conference upset can reshape national perception in early February.

The defeat came on Feb. 4 at the Chiles Center, where Portland beat Gonzaga 87-80. The result ended Gonzaga’s 15-game winning streak and also halted a 20-game Bulldogs streak against the Pilots. Portland had not beaten Gonzaga since Jan. 9, 2014.

Portland’s win was its first over a top-10 opponent, a program milestone that immediately changed the context of Gonzaga’s resume.

How the Portland game unfolded

Portland established control early and led at halftime, 39-33, before withstanding a late Gonzaga push. Joel Foxwell scored 27 points for the Pilots and James O’Donnell added 16. For Gonzaga, Graham Ike posted 24 points and 10 rebounds, but Gonzaga trailed by as many as 15 and never fully reversed the momentum.

• Final score (Feb. 4): Portland 87, Gonzaga 80
• Gonzaga record after the loss: 22-2 overall, 10-1 in WCC play
• Portland record after the win: 11-14 overall, 4-8 in WCC play

Immediate response: two wins and a tightened conference race

Gonzaga responded with a convincing road win on Feb. 7, beating Oregon State 81-61 in Corvallis. Ike matched his career high with 35 points as Gonzaga moved past the midweek setback and improved to 23-2 overall and 11-1 in conference play.

On Feb. 10, Gonzaga followed with an 83-53 home win over Washington State, forcing 21 turnovers and holding the Cougars to 53 points. Ike scored 20 and Davis Fogle added 17 off the bench. The result left Gonzaga tied atop the WCC standings with Santa Clara, setting up a first-place matchup on Feb. 14.

Where Gonzaga stands in the Feb. 9 AP Top 25

The Feb. 9 poll placed Arizona at No. 1 (23-0), followed by Michigan, Houston, Duke and Iowa State in the top five. Gonzaga’s move to No. 12 reflects the weight voters placed on a conference road loss to a team outside the national rankings, even as the Bulldogs continued to accumulate wins and remained in contention for the WCC title.