Thursday, December 20
Spokane, Wash.
6:00 PM
Gonzaga University
vs
University of Idaho
Photo by: Mike Wootton
No. 21/21 Bulldogs Host Idaho in Final Non-Conference Game
12/18/2018 3:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Marks 31st meeting between programs
No. 21/21 GONZAGA (10-1) vs. IDAHO (3-5)
DEC. 20 | SPOKANE, WA. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER
STREAM: theW.TV
RADIO: KJRB 790 am
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
THE TIP-OFF
- Gonzaga and Idaho will meet for the 31st time in program history Thursday evening at the McCarthey Athletic Center. It will be the first meeting between the two programs since Nov. 8, 2013 when the Bulldogs defeated the Vandals 64-56 in Spokane as part of the Preseason WNIT.
- This will be Gonzaga's final non-conference game of the season. Heading into Thursday's game, the Bulldogs rank 19th in the nation in RPI, and they have the highest RPI of any West Coast Conference team.
- The Zags are currently on a six-game win streak, the longest so far of the young season. The Bulldogs longest win streak in program history is 23 games, a feat they accomplished from Dec. 10, 2004 to March 6, 2005. The longest recent streak is 15-straight victories which occurred between Dec. 17, 2017 and Feb. 8, 2018.
- The Zags continue to stretch their best start in program history as they carry a 10-1 overall mark following their 70-67 win at Missouri State on Dec. 16. Previously, their best start was an 8-2 mark, most recently during the 2013-14 season.
- Gonzaga is ranked for the third-straight week after entering the polls at No. 24/22 on Dec. 3. After their 23-point rout over Washington State, the Bulldogs moved up in the AP Poll to No. 21 on Dec. 10. It's the Bulldogs' highest ranking since being ranked No. 18 in March 2014.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: 31st Meeting, series tied 15-15
In Spokane: 8-7| In Moscow: 7-6| Neutral: 0-1
Current Streak: Gonzaga, Won 5
Last Meeting: Gonzaga won 64-56 in the Preseason NIT in Spokane on Nov. 8, 2013.
Series Notes: Gonzaga and Idaho meet for the 31st time in program history and the 16th time in Spokane. It's the first time since the 2013-14 season that the two teams have met; the Bulldogs are currently on a five-game winning streak in the series.
- Idaho claimed the edge early in the series, which began in 1981. The Vandals won the first eight meetings until Gonzaga picked up its firs twin during the 1987-88 season. The Bulldogs defeated Idaho 66-51 on Dec. 5, 1987 as part of the Wheatland Classic in Cheney, Wash.
- Gonzaga has dominated the series since 1994, winning 12 of the last 14 meetings including the last five straight.
- In their last meeting on Nov. 8, 2013 in the Preseason WNIT in Spokane, then-senior guard Haiden Palmer was crucial in leading the Zags back from an early second-half deficit to win 64-56. Palmer finished with a game-high 18 points, including 10 in the final 13 minutes, to go along with seven rebounds and a game-high seven steals.
- The Bulldogs carry a 103-70 overall record against current Big Sky teams. Gonzaga has faced at least one Big Sky team every season since 1986-87.
SCOUTING IDAHO:
- The Vandals carry a 3-5 overall record during non-conference play and are 1-4 in true road games. Idaho has picked up wins against CSU Northridge, Texas Tech and San Francisco; the Vandals have dropped their last two games, falling at Hawaii (69-61) and at Wyoming (64-61).
- Through eight games, Idaho averages 73.4 points per game to rank third in the Big Sky Conference. The Vandals are shooting 40.7 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from long range.
- Idaho favors the three-point shot, averaging a BSC league-best10.8 threes made per contest. That mark also ranks fifth nationally. The Vandals also lead the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage at 35.8 percent. Nearly half of Idaho's field goal attempts are threes as 240 of 519 total field goal attempts are from beyond-the-arc.
- The Vandals are led in scoring by Mikayla Ferenz with a league-best 22.4 points per game. That mark also ranks 10th nationally. Taylor Pierce also averages double-figures for the Vandals with 15.1 points per game. Over half of both Ferenz's and Pierce's attempts are from beyond-the-arc.
- As a squad, the Vandals average 35.2 rebounds per contest and carry a -4.1 rebounding margin. Natalie Klinker leads Idaho in rebounding, collecting a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game, good for sixth in the Big Sky.
- Aside from Idaho's lopsided 115-71 loss at Stanford in early November, the Vandals have lost only by an average of 6.0 points in their last four losses. Their last two losses (at Hawaii and Wyoming) were decided by an average of 5.0 points. At Wyoming, Idaho cut the lead to two with 30 seconds left and had a chance to tie the game as time expired; however, the last-second three attempt fell short and gave the Cowgirls the 64-61 win.
LET'S GET DEFENSIVE
Statistically speaking, the Bulldogs are the best defensive team in the WCC. Gonzaga leads the league in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 56.5 points per game. That mark also ranks 47th nationally. GU ranks second in turnover margin, forcing an average of 17.2 turnovers per game for a +2.9 turnover margin, and it ranks second in blocked shots with 3.7 per contest. The Bulldogs also rank second in rebounding defense, limiting opponents to just 33.7 rebounds per game.
DEC. 20 | SPOKANE, WA. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER
STREAM: theW.TV
RADIO: KJRB 790 am
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
THE TIP-OFF
- Gonzaga and Idaho will meet for the 31st time in program history Thursday evening at the McCarthey Athletic Center. It will be the first meeting between the two programs since Nov. 8, 2013 when the Bulldogs defeated the Vandals 64-56 in Spokane as part of the Preseason WNIT.
- This will be Gonzaga's final non-conference game of the season. Heading into Thursday's game, the Bulldogs rank 19th in the nation in RPI, and they have the highest RPI of any West Coast Conference team.
- The Zags are currently on a six-game win streak, the longest so far of the young season. The Bulldogs longest win streak in program history is 23 games, a feat they accomplished from Dec. 10, 2004 to March 6, 2005. The longest recent streak is 15-straight victories which occurred between Dec. 17, 2017 and Feb. 8, 2018.
- The Zags continue to stretch their best start in program history as they carry a 10-1 overall mark following their 70-67 win at Missouri State on Dec. 16. Previously, their best start was an 8-2 mark, most recently during the 2013-14 season.
- Gonzaga is ranked for the third-straight week after entering the polls at No. 24/22 on Dec. 3. After their 23-point rout over Washington State, the Bulldogs moved up in the AP Poll to No. 21 on Dec. 10. It's the Bulldogs' highest ranking since being ranked No. 18 in March 2014.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: 31st Meeting, series tied 15-15
In Spokane: 8-7| In Moscow: 7-6| Neutral: 0-1
Current Streak: Gonzaga, Won 5
Last Meeting: Gonzaga won 64-56 in the Preseason NIT in Spokane on Nov. 8, 2013.
Series Notes: Gonzaga and Idaho meet for the 31st time in program history and the 16th time in Spokane. It's the first time since the 2013-14 season that the two teams have met; the Bulldogs are currently on a five-game winning streak in the series.
- Idaho claimed the edge early in the series, which began in 1981. The Vandals won the first eight meetings until Gonzaga picked up its firs twin during the 1987-88 season. The Bulldogs defeated Idaho 66-51 on Dec. 5, 1987 as part of the Wheatland Classic in Cheney, Wash.
- Gonzaga has dominated the series since 1994, winning 12 of the last 14 meetings including the last five straight.
- In their last meeting on Nov. 8, 2013 in the Preseason WNIT in Spokane, then-senior guard Haiden Palmer was crucial in leading the Zags back from an early second-half deficit to win 64-56. Palmer finished with a game-high 18 points, including 10 in the final 13 minutes, to go along with seven rebounds and a game-high seven steals.
- The Bulldogs carry a 103-70 overall record against current Big Sky teams. Gonzaga has faced at least one Big Sky team every season since 1986-87.
SCOUTING IDAHO:
- The Vandals carry a 3-5 overall record during non-conference play and are 1-4 in true road games. Idaho has picked up wins against CSU Northridge, Texas Tech and San Francisco; the Vandals have dropped their last two games, falling at Hawaii (69-61) and at Wyoming (64-61).
- Through eight games, Idaho averages 73.4 points per game to rank third in the Big Sky Conference. The Vandals are shooting 40.7 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from long range.
- Idaho favors the three-point shot, averaging a BSC league-best10.8 threes made per contest. That mark also ranks fifth nationally. The Vandals also lead the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage at 35.8 percent. Nearly half of Idaho's field goal attempts are threes as 240 of 519 total field goal attempts are from beyond-the-arc.
- The Vandals are led in scoring by Mikayla Ferenz with a league-best 22.4 points per game. That mark also ranks 10th nationally. Taylor Pierce also averages double-figures for the Vandals with 15.1 points per game. Over half of both Ferenz's and Pierce's attempts are from beyond-the-arc.
- As a squad, the Vandals average 35.2 rebounds per contest and carry a -4.1 rebounding margin. Natalie Klinker leads Idaho in rebounding, collecting a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game, good for sixth in the Big Sky.
- Aside from Idaho's lopsided 115-71 loss at Stanford in early November, the Vandals have lost only by an average of 6.0 points in their last four losses. Their last two losses (at Hawaii and Wyoming) were decided by an average of 5.0 points. At Wyoming, Idaho cut the lead to two with 30 seconds left and had a chance to tie the game as time expired; however, the last-second three attempt fell short and gave the Cowgirls the 64-61 win.
LET'S GET DEFENSIVE
Statistically speaking, the Bulldogs are the best defensive team in the WCC. Gonzaga leads the league in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 56.5 points per game. That mark also ranks 47th nationally. GU ranks second in turnover margin, forcing an average of 17.2 turnovers per game for a +2.9 turnover margin, and it ranks second in blocked shots with 3.7 per contest. The Bulldogs also rank second in rebounding defense, limiting opponents to just 33.7 rebounds per game.
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Monday, March 25
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Saturday, March 23
