GONZAGA (23-2, 12-1 WCC) vs. BYU (19-6, 11-3 WCC)
FEB. 16 | 2 P.M. | SPOKANE, WASH. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER
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THE TIP-OFF
- Gonzaga and BYU meet for the 26th time in program history and the 12th time in Spokane.
- The Bulldogs are currently on a seven-game win streak, and they have won the last seven games by an average of 21.9 points while limiting opponents to an average of 54.6 points per contest. The Zags also claim the longest win streak of the season in the WCC, boasting a 12-game win streak from Nov. 23 through Jan. 12. BYU claims the next longest win streak of 11 games; losses at Loyola Marymount and at Pepperdine on Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 ended the Cougars' win streak and dropped them out of the AP Top 25.
- Prior to Gonzaga's 70-68 loss at BYU on Jan. 17, the Zags has posted a program-best 16-1 start. However, the current 23-2 mark is only the second of program history. The Bulldogs were also 23-2 during the 2004-05 season. That season, the Zags posted a program-best 23-game win streak and finished the season 28-4 overall with an unblemished 14-0 mark in WCC play. Gonzaga advanced to the second round of the WNIT, losing at Missouri State 85-66 to end the season.
- The Bulldogs currently lead the WCC in six categories: Scoring defense (57.2 ppg, 36th nationally), scoring margin (+17.2, 20th nationally), field goal percentage defense (37.2%), 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.9%, 36th nationally), rebounding defense (30.6 rpg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2). The Zags also rank second in nine categories: scoring offense (74.4 ppg), free throw percentage (75.5%), field goal percentage (45.9%), rebounding margin (+7.4), assists per game (15.6), steals per game (9.6), turnover margin (+3.8), defensive rebounding percentage (.719) and offensive rebounding percentage (.381).
- Gonzaga is ranked for the 11th-straight week after entering the polls at No. 24/22 on Dec. 3. Following wins at Pacific (Jan. 31, 63-51) and at Saint Mary's (Feb. 2, 66-52), Gonzaga moved up to No. 13 in the AP Poll and No. 12 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Zags' No. 12 ranking is the highest in either poll in program history.
- Gonzaga eclipsed the 20-win plateau with its 63-51 victory at Pacific on Jan. 31. It marks the 14th time in program history that the Bulldogs have won at least 20 games; the Zags have eclipsed the 30-win game only once. During the 2010-11 season when the Bulldogs advanced to the Elite Eight, Gonzaga finished with a program-record 31 wins with a 31-5 overall record.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: 26th meeting; Gonzaga leads 15-10
In Spokane: 9-2| Provo: 4-6| Neutral: 2-2
Current Streak: BYU, Won 1
Last Meeting: BYU defeated Gonzaga 70-68 in Provo, Utah on Jan. 17.
Series Notes: Gonzaga and BYU meet for the 26th time in program history and the 12th time in Spokane. Saturday will mark the 20th time the two programs have met as members of the West Coast Conference.
- Saturday will mark the seventh time the two programs have met while Gonzaga has been nationally ranked. The Bulldogs are 2-4 against the Cougars when nationally ranked; two of the six meetings have been in the WCC Tournament, while three of the four losses have occurred in Provo.
-  Over the course of the series, Gonzaga has put together win streaks of two, three and four games while BYU has not won more than two games in a row. GU's four-game win streak occurred between 2012-13 and 2013-14, while it won three in a row from 2014-15.
- In the last meeting, the Bulldogs suffered their only loss of conference play to date, falling at BYU 70-68. Gonzaga opened the game with a 19-9 first quarter advantage after forcing eight turnovers in the opening period. Yet BYU hit four threes in the second quarter to ignite a 25-point scoring surge to tie the game 34-all heading into the break. BYU just edged the Zags in the second half, outscoring GU 36-34 to claim the 70-68 win.
 
SCOUTING BYU:
- The Cougars are currently on a two-game win streak after losing three straight from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7. Following BYU's win over Gonzaga, the Cougars have gone 4-3 with losses at Loyola Marymount (61-58), at Pepperdine (79-65) and against Saint Mary's (78-75).
- Currently, BYU averages 68.0 points per game (6th in WCC), shooting 41.7 percent from the floor (4th in WCC). The Cougars average 38.6 rebounds per game with a +1.0 rebounding margin while collection 8.6 steals per game and dishing out 15.6 assists per game (3rd in WCC). BYU also ranks tied for first the conference with blocked shots per game with 4.2.
- Freshman guard Shaylee Gonzales leads the Cougars in scoring and ranks fourth in the conference with 16.2 points per game while sophomore Paisley Johnson and junior Brenna Chase round out the double-figure scoring with 14.4 and 12.3 points, respectively.
- Jasmine Moody, Gonzales and Sara Hamson all average over five rebounds per game with Moody collecting a team-high 5.7 per game and Gonzales and Hamson adding 5.5 and 5.3 rebounds per game, respectively.
- BYU relies heavily on its trio of starting guards (Gonzales, Johnson and Chase), as all three average more than 34 minutes per game and account for 63 percent of the Cougars scoring offense.
- Hamson ranks second in the conference and 28th in the nation with 2.3 blocked shots per game. On Jan. 17 against the Zags, Hamson finished with a game-high four blocks.
- Prior to BYU's three-game losing skid that began on Jan. 31, the Cougars owned an 11-game win streak, the second longest of any WCC team this season. Gonzaga owns the rights to the longest win streak this season as it won 12 straight from Nov. 23-Jan. 12.
 
SHOOTING INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
Through 25 games, Gonzaga is shooting 46.1 percent as a squad. That number currently ranks third in program history for field goal percentage in a single season. The Bulldogs 2010-11 and 2009-10 squads claim the top two spots for field goal percentage in a single season; in 2010-11, Gonzaga was 1,225-for-2,482 to shoot 49.4 percent, while the 2009-10 team finished 1,070-for-2,260 to shoot 47.4 percent from the floor. This season's team is also one of the best three-point shooting teams in program history. Currently, the Bulldogs are shooting 36.5 percent from long range. That number ranks fifth all-time for three-point field goal percentage in a single season.
 
DEFENSIVE LOCKDOWN
Thursday against San Diego, the Bulldogs allowed just four made field goals by the Toreros in the first 20 minutes. It marked the lowest number of field goals in the first half by a GU opponent this season, and the first time since the 2016-17 season that the Zags had limited an opponent to four or fewer field goals in the opening half. Prior to Thursday, the last time the Bulldogs had limited a team to four field goals in the first half was against BYU on Feb. 2, 2017.
 
MOVING ON UP
Laura Stockton dished out three assists in GU's 71-44 win over San Diego on Feb. 14. Stockton now has 436 career assists to rank fourth all-time in GU history. She is four assists short of third place; former Zag Amy Simpson claims the third spot with 439 career assists. Currently, Stockton leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with 4.3 assists per game. If she continues at that rate, she should surpass Simpson for third place all-time against BYU on Feb. 16.
 
SHOTS FIRED, AND MADE
Currently, Jill Townsend and Zykera Rice are shooting over 50 percent from the floor for the season. Townsend leads the Zags and ranks second in the WCC shooting 54.0 percent from the floor, while Rice ranks fourth shooting 51.9 percent. (Sophomore Jenn Wirth is currently shooting 57.7 percent from the floor, but she does not qualify for the overall season field goal percentage as she has not played in at least 75 percent of the season's games).