Gonzaga vs. Purdue Final: Bulldogs Win 78-72 at T-Mobile Arena — Their First Win in Six Tries Against the Boilermakers
Opening night in Las Vegas ended with the streak ending. Gonzaga led 36-33 at the half, held off Daniel Jacobsen's 20 points and a late Purdue push, and beat the Boilermakers 78-72 — the Bulldogs' first victory in six meetings.
Gonzaga defeated Purdue 78-72 on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena in the opening game of the Hall of Fame Series men's session — the Bulldogs' first win over the Boilermakers in six meetings, after Purdue had taken all five previous games in the series, including three straight from 2022 to 2024 and an 80-68 win in the 2024 Sweet 16.
Gonzaga led 36-33 at halftime behind an unexpected spark: Davis Fogle took over the closing minutes of the first half and reached a game-high 11 points by the break, and the Bulldogs shot 5-of-9 from three in the first 20 minutes — a sharp reversal of the cold perimeter shooting that had marked their exhibitions. Four Gonzaga players finished in double figures. Purdue's answer was its 7-foot-4 center, Daniel Jacobsen, who reached 20 points and kept the Boilermakers within reach all night.
Purdue made its last push late: Gicarri Harris's four-point play cut the margin to 67-62 with 4:50 left. Gonzaga closed it out from there for win No. 1 of the season, in the building that opened college basketball's season in Las Vegas on Monday. The men's session continued into the nightcap — UCLA against Arizona — whose final files in the next cycle.
