Dec. 7, 2015 Gonzaga Notes (pdf) 
GONZAGA BULLDOGS (6-3) AT WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (7-1)
GAME 10 | DEC. 8 | 6 P.M.| BEASLEY COLISEUM | PULLMAN, WA
SERIES: Washington State leads the series 17-7 (9-2 in Pullman)
FIRST MEETING: 1984: 61-74 in Pullman, Wash.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 9, 2014: 58-59 in Spokane
LIVE TV/VIDEO: Pac-12 Network (Play-by-Play: Cindy Brunson/Color-Commentary: Mary Murphy) LIVE RADIO: Toyota Gonzaga IMG - Fox Sports 790 KJRB (Play-by-Play: Steve Myklebust)
RIVALRY CONTINUES TUESDAY IN PULLMAN
- After hosting eight of its first nine games, Gonzaga plays its first true road game of the season at Washington State.
- The Zags begin a stretch of five straight road contests over a 16-day span. GU's next home game is Dec. 31.
- Gonzaga will travel 7,725 miles during the upcoming five-game road stretch.
- The Bulldogs will be playing their third game over a six-day span against WSU.
GONZAGA STORYLINES
- The Bulldogs are fifth in the country with 51 total blocks. Their 5.7 blocks per game average tops the West Coast Conference and are 28th in the country.
- Shelby Cheslek needs six blocks to break Kayla Standish's program record of 176 in a career. - The senior is 10th in the nation with 23 blocks already this season, and her 2.56 per game ranks 29th in the country.
- The Zags sit atop the CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Top-25 for the second consecutive week.
- Gonzaga is holding opponents to 54.8 points per game, which leads the West Coast Conference and is 39th in the nation.
- Under Head Coach Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga is 26-0 when it scores at least 70 points and 6-11 when it does not. - The Bulldogs' 134 made free-throws ranks 13th in the nation, while their 187 attempts are 18th.
ABOUT THE COUGARS
- Washington State enters the game winners of seven of its first eight games of the season.
- The Cougars' lone loss of the season was a 70-60 road setback at Oklahoma State.
- WSU handed fellow West Coast Conference member, San Diego, its first loss of the season Sunday, 78-72.
- Washington State has been paced by its defense so far. It's forcing 20.25 turnovers per game, which is third in the Pac-12 and is 52nd in the nation. WSU is also 17th in the country with 92 steals already this season (11.5 spg).
- WSU is 11th in the nation holding opponents to 21.8 percent from behind-the-arc.
- The Cougars are also averaging 5.9 blocks per contest, which is 19th in the country.
- Individually, Dawnyelle Awa (5-9, SR) is 28th in the nation averaging 3.13 steals per game, which tops the Pac-12.
- Borislava Hristova (6-0, FR) ranks 24th nationally with a team-high 20.6 points per game.
SERIES HISTORY
- Tuesday is the 25th all-time meeting between the programs separated by only 76 miles.
- The Zags have five of the last seven meetings after winning only two of the first 17 matchups.
- Gonzaga lost in its first nine trips to Pullman, but have won the last two meetings in the Beasley Coliseum.
- The last four meetings have all been decided by single digits and a total of 17 points.
- WSU won last season's game, despite leading for only two minutes and 50 seconds. Elle Tinkle scored 13 points for GU.
PREPPING FOR CONFERENCE ACTION
- The Bulldogs loaded up their non-conference schedule with tough competition to prepare for WCC play again.
- Gonzaga opened last season with four losses in its first 10 games.
- It then won 16 straight games, the fifth-longest win streak in program history.
- The Zags also won their 11th straight West Coast Conference regular season title with a 16-2 league record.
- GU ended its season with a run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament and was ranked No. 19 in the AP poll.
CHESLEK TABBED M-O-P
- Shelby Cheslek was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Zags' matchup with North Carolina. - The senior scored a team-high 16 points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
- She finished the game in the Mohegan Sun Arena shooting 7-for-10 from the field with two assists.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
- Shelby Cheslek recorded her 11th career double-double against North Carolina in Connecticut (16 pts, 11 rbs). - The senior has two double-doubles this season after having four in 2014-15.
- Her first career double-double was an 11-point and 11-rebound performance at LMU on Feb. 9, 2013.
- Teammate Kiara Kudron also has two double-doubles this season.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
- Gonzaga currently leads the West Coast Conference with a 54.8 scoring defense (39th in the nation), and blocks per game at 5.7 (28th in the nation).
- The Bulldogs are first in the WCC in three-point field goal percentage defense at 25.9 (51st in the country), and third in steals per game with 9.3 (98th in the country).
IT'S A BLOCK PARTY
- Last season's GU team broke the program record with 184 blocks in a season.
- This season's team has 51 through the first nine games. They are on pace for 170 through the regular season, which would be second on the program's all-time single season list.
- This season's team made 11 blocks in the win over West Virginia, which is fourth on the program's all-time single game list, and were the most since the record was broken with 16 against Saint Mary's in 2010.
- Shelby Cheslek is on pace to contend with the single season program record of 77 set by Stephanie Hawk in 2006-07. Cheslek needs six blocks to break Kayla Standish's GU career record of 176.
CHASING MILESTONES
- Cheslek is second in program history with 171 blocks, five away from tying the record.
- She is also sixth in GU history with 730 rebounds.
