Portland Pilots Stun No. 6 Gonzaga With Historic Upset

The Chiles Center in Portland, Oregon, was the scene of one of the most stunning upsets in recent college basketball memory on Wednesday night, as the Portland Pilots shocked the No. 6 Gonzaga Bulldogs with an 87-80 victory. The win not only snapped Gonzaga’s 15-game winning streak, but also marked Portland’s first triumph over a top-10 opponent and ended a daunting 20-game losing streak against the Bulldogs—a run that stretched all the way back to January 9, 2014.

For the Pilots, this wasn’t just any win. It was a program-defining moment, fueled by the electric play of freshman point guard Joel Foxwell, who poured in a career-high 27 points. Portland, coming into the game as a heavy 21.5-point underdog according to BetMGM Sportsbook, improved to 11-14 overall and 4-8 in West Coast Conference play. The Pilots had stumbled through a three-game losing streak, including a 104-74 drubbing at Washington State and a 74-51 loss at Pacific, but none of that mattered once the opening tip went up against Gonzaga.

Gonzaga, meanwhile, fell to 22-2 overall and 10-1 in the West Coast Conference, suffering just its second loss of the season. The Bulldogs had previously lost only to then-No. 7 Michigan back on December 10, 2025, in Las Vegas. This defeat also ended a 14-game conference winning streak, the third-longest active run in the nation, and put a dent in what had been a remarkable campaign under head coach Mark Few.

"Portland played with so much heart tonight," said Gonzaga’s forward Graham Ike, who led the Bulldogs with 24 points and 10 rebounds. "They hit big shots, and we just couldn’t get the stops we needed down the stretch." Ike’s efforts were valiant, but the Pilots’ energy and determination were simply too much for the visitors to overcome.

From the outset, Portland looked nothing like a team mired in a losing streak. The Pilots raced out to a 15-5 lead, energized by back-to-back jumpers from Foxwell. The home crowd, sensing the possibility of something special, roared with every basket. Gonzaga clawed back, closing the gap to 17-16 on an Ike layup, but Portland refused to relinquish the advantage. A three-pointer by Mario Saint-Supery briefly gave the Bulldogs a 28-26 lead with just under seven minutes to go in the first half, but Portland quickly responded and held a 39-33 lead at halftime after Garrett Nuckolls’ layup.

Coming out of the break, the Pilots continued to dictate the pace. Cameron Williams’ three-pointer pushed the lead to 50-43, and a series of layups extended the margin to 57-48 with 13 minutes remaining. Foxwell, undaunted by the moment, drilled a three-pointer to make it 67-56, and James O’Donnell’s layup later gave Portland a commanding 75-60 edge with just 5:42 left on the clock.

Gonzaga, as expected from a top-10 team, mounted a furious rally. Saint-Supery’s clutch three-pointer trimmed the deficit to 82-73 with a minute left. Ike calmly sank two free throws, and Braeden Smith’s jumper cut it even closer. David Fogel’s layup pulled the Bulldogs to within four at 84-80, but O’Donnell delivered the dagger with a thunderous dunk with just 23 seconds remaining, sealing the Pilots’ historic win.

“This is a night we’ll never forget,” said Pilots head coach Shantay Legans after the game. “Our guys believed, even when nobody else did. Joel (Foxwell) was incredible, but this was a total team effort.” Legans’ squad, which had struggled offensively throughout the season—ranking just 195th nationally in effective field goal percentage at 50.7%—found its rhythm at precisely the right time.

Foxwell’s performance was nothing short of sensational. The freshman, who entered the contest averaging 15.3 points and leading the conference with 6.8 assists per game, played with poise beyond his years. He orchestrated the offense, hit timely shots, and kept the Bulldogs’ defense on its heels all night long. James O’Donnell added 16 points for the Pilots, providing crucial support as Portland snapped its three-game skid in emphatic fashion.

For Gonzaga, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow. The Bulldogs had swept the regular-season series against Portland in 2024-25, and under coach Mark Few, they had gone 47-2 against the Pilots prior to this game. The Zags had also enjoyed a 24-1 record at the Chiles Center during Few’s tenure, with this contest marking their final visit before moving to the Pac-12 in the 2026-27 season.

The defeat also highlighted some of the challenges Gonzaga has faced in recent weeks. The team had been without its second leading scorer, Braden Huff, for the last five games due to a left knee injury. While Graham Ike returned from his own injury woes to lead the Bulldogs, the absence of Huff and the need to occasionally deploy a small-ball lineup with 6'7" Jalen Warley at center may have disrupted Gonzaga’s rhythm, particularly on offense.

Despite the setback, the Bulldogs remain a formidable force in the West Coast Conference and nationally. They have matched the fifth-best start in program history and have reached 20 wins for the 29th consecutive season, the second-longest active streak in the country. Still, the loss to Portland will undoubtedly serve as a wake-up call as they prepare for their next matchup on the road against Oregon State on Saturday, February 7, 2026.

For Portland, this victory could be a turning point. The Pilots will look to build on the momentum when they host Seattle on Saturday. The win not only boosts their conference standing but also injects a new sense of belief into a program that has often played in the shadow of its more illustrious conference rivals.

As the final buzzer sounded and the Chiles Center crowd erupted, it was clear that this was more than just a win. It was a statement—a reminder that in college basketball, anything can happen on any given night. For the Portland Pilots, February 4, 2026, will be remembered as the night they toppled a giant and etched their names into the annals of NCAA basketball lore.