No. 13/14 GONZAGA (16-1, 5-0 WCC) at BYU (14-3, 6-0 WCC)
JAN. 17 | 6 P.M. PT | PROVO, UTAH | MARRIOTT CENTER
STREAM: BYUtv
RADIO: KJRB 790 AM/94.1 FM
LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM
 
THE TIP-OFF
- Gonzaga and BYU will meet for the 25th time in program history and the 10th time in Provo. Gonzaga holds a 15-9 advantage in the series, but the Cougars carry a 5-4 advantage in Provo. This game will be the 19th time the two squads meet as WCC opponents; BYU joined the conference during the 2011-12 season.
- The Zags are currently on a 12-game win streak, the longest so far of the 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.
- With its 5-0 start to WCC play, Gonzaga has now opened conference play with a 5-0 record nine times in program history. Two of those seasons (2004-05; 2009-10), the Bulldogs went on to have undefeated 14-0 conference records before the addition of BYU and return of Pacific to the WCC. Currently, the Zags hold the record for conference wins with 17, a feat they accomplished last season after posting a conference-best 17-1 record.
- The Zags continue to stretch their best start in program history as they carry a 16-1 overall mark following their 97-71 win over Portland on Jan. 12. Previously, their best start was an 8-2 mark, most recently during the 2013-14 season.
- Gonzaga is ranked for the sixth-straight week after entering the polls at No. 24/22 on Dec. 3. Following their 97-71 win over Portland on Jan. 12, the Bulldogs moved up to 13th in the AP Poll on Jan. 14. It's the program's highest ranking ever, surpassing the previous high of #14, which was set on Jan. 7 of this season.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: 25th meeting, Gonzaga leads 15-9
In Spokane: 9-2 | In Provo: 4-5| Neutral: 2-2
Current Streak: Gonzaga, Won 2
Last Meeting: Gonzaga defeated BYU 62-37 in Spokane on Feb. 24, 2018.
Series Notes: Gonzaga and BYU meet for the 25th time in program history and the 10th time in Provo. The series dates back to the 1983-84 season when the Bulldogs hosted the Cougars as part of the Bulldog Invitational in Spokane. BYU claimed the edge in the first meeting, 80-63, but Gonzaga won the next meeting during the 1993094 season, a 75-67 victory. Neither team has completely dominated the series, but Gonzaga claims the longest win streak of four games when the Bulldogs won four-straight from the 2012-13 season through the 2013-14 season.
- Throughout the series, Gonzaga has averaged 67.5 points per game while limiting BYU to 61.5. Gonzaga has not given up more than 80 points in the series and has limited BYU to as few as 37 points.
- In the last meeting, Gonzaga dominated BYU from the tip, sending the Bulldogs' seniors out with a victory, 62-37. It also set the single season WCC wins record with 17 as the Bulldogs finished the 2017-18 season with a 17-1 mark in WCC play. The Cougars netted the first basket of the game but went scoreless over the final 9:25 of the first quarter as the Bulldogs claimed a 16-2 advantage after the first 10. Three players finished in double-figures as Jill Barta, Emma Stach and Zykera Rice each scored 11 points. Laura Stockton and Chandler Smith were close behind with nine points.
 
SCOUTING BYU:
- The Cougars are 14-3 overall on the season with an unblemished 6-0 mark in WCC play. Currently, BYU averages 67.2 points per game shooting 41.6 percent from the floor and 33.5 percent from long range.
- Through the first three weekends of conference play, BYU leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) and rank second in four categories: scoring defense (60.5 ppg), scoring margin (+6.6), field goal percentage defense (37.1), and assists (15.4).
- As of Jan. 15, BYU has the second-highest RPI in the WCC (Gonzaga leads at 11th). The Cougars have held steady at No. 28.
- During the nonconference slate, BYU posted an 8-3 record with losses to California, at Southern Utah and at Utah to finish 4-1 at home and 2-2 on the road with a 2-0 neutral record. Through the first six games of conference play, the Cougars have won four games on the road, including two last weekend that went down to the wire. At Pacific on Jan. 10, BYU made free throws down the stretch to secure the 77-74 win on the road. At Saint Mary's on Jan. 12, BYU led by 13 points early in the fourth quarter, yet a late Saint Mary's surge cut the lead to six (74-68) with 2:13 to go. Saint Mary's scored five unanswered to cut the lead to one point with 22 seconds remaining, but the Gaels missed a last-second three-point attempt to give the Cougars the 74-73 win.
- BYU is one of the tallest teams in the conference, with eight players six feet or taller (with the tallest coming in at 6-foot-7), with 11 players listed as 5-foot-10 or taller.
- Three players average double-figures for BYU, led by Shaylee Gonzales at t17.6 points per game. Paisley Johnson adds 14.2 while Brenna Chase averages 12.5 points per game.
- Gonzales also leads the team in rebounding with 5.6 rebounds per game. Jasmine Moody also grabs at least five boards a game as she averages 5.4.
- BYU relies heavily on its top five for minutes as three players average over 34 minutes per game (Chase, 36.8; Johnson, 35.1; Gonzales, 34.2), while Moody and Shalae Salmon add 23.4 and 22.9 minutes per game, respectively.
 
FLYING HIGH WITH CAREER NIGHTS
Jan. 12 against the Pilots was a career night for five Bulldogs, led by Zykera Rice with a career-high 28 points off 11-of-13 from the floor to go along with seven boards, three assists, one block and one steal. Laura Stockton also finished with a career-high scoring total, tallying 19 points six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Stockton's six assists catapulted her to fourth-all time in career assists, surpassing Jazmine Redmon with 401 career assists. Katie Campbell added a career-high three assists in the win to go along with a career-high tying seven rebounds while both Jessie Loera and Melody Kempton finished with career-high tying marks. Loera dished out nine assists and five rebounds, matching her career highs in both catgories, while Kempton added two steals, also her current career high.
 
#CLUTCHMOMENTS: BUZZER BEATERS
Though the Zags have not been in a position to have a game-winner as time expired, they have hit several shots this season as the buzzer sounded. Already this season, the Zags have hit a shot with less than four seconds on the clock, and nine different players have scored during those time frames. Rice, Chandler Smith and Jill Townsend have two buzzer-beaters on record this season, while LeeAnne Wirth, Jenn Wirth, Stockton, Kempton, Campbell and Loera have each converted one.
 
BULLDOGS KEEP ON CLIMBING
Gonzaga's recent jump to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 Poll marks its highest ranking ever and back-to-back record-setting rankings following GU's jump to No. 14 on Jan. 7. Previously, the Zags had been ranked as high as No. 15 in the Associated Press poll, a feat they accomplished March 20-27, 2010 (That same week, Gonzaga did reach a No. 14 ranking in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll). That season (2009-10), Gonzaga entered the Top 25 poll at No. 24 on Feb. 6, 2010 following a 93-53 win over San Francisco. The Bulldogs continued to move up in the poll through WCC play, moving up to 22nd, 21st, 19th, 17th and finally 15th. The Bulldogs posted a 20-game win streak and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen that season.
 
MOVING ON UP
Laura Stockton dished out six assists in GU's 97-71 win over Portland to surpass Jazmine Redmon on the all-time career assists list. Stockton now has 401 career assists to rank fourth all-time in GU history. She is 39 assists short of third place; former Zag Amy Simpson claims the third spot with 439 career assists. Currently, Stockton leads the team and ranks eighth in the conference with 4.1 assists per game. If she continues at that rate, it will take her less than 10 games to move into third all time.
 
KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE
Katie Campbell is currently on a 15-game streak with at least one three-point field goal. Through the first 17 games, Campbell is 34-71 from long range and is shooting 47.9 percent to lead the Zags. Campbell's 47.9 percent also leads the WCC and ranks eighth in the nation.