#1/1 Gonzaga (9-0) vs. San Francisco (7-1, 1-0)
SATURDAY, DEC. 31 | 5 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE, WASH.
TELEVISION: ESPN2
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga and San Francisco meet for the 96th time on Saturday in Spokane, at 5 p.m. GU owns a 63-22 advantage in the series.
- The Zags have won 19 straight versus the Dons. USF's last win in the series came in 2012, 66-65, at USF.
- Gonzaga has won 31 in-a-row in Spokane in the series, including all 16 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs are 35-2 against USF in Spokane all-time. The Dons last won in Spokane on Feb. 10, 1989, 67-64.
- The Zags are coming off of a 112-67 win over Dixie State Tuesday. The 112 points were the third most in McCarthey Athletic Center history. Corey Kispert scored 25 points and Joel Ayayi matched his career-high with 21.
- Gonzaga has won 23 straight West Coast Conference openers, dating back to a 72-61 loss at Santa Clara in 1996. The Zags have won all 21 West Coast Conference openers under Mark Few.
- GU is first in the nation in scoring offense (96.2), field goal percentage (55.7), and fifth in assists (21.3).
- According to KenPom, GU boasts the nation's most efficient offense and 19th best defense.
- Corey Kispert and Drew Timme lead the WCC in scoring and field goal percentage. Both are 10th in the country with 69 made shots from the field, and Kispert's 30 made threes per game ranks 10th in the nation, while his 51.7 percent shooting from behind-the-arc is 15th.
- Jalen Suggs is first in the conference in steals (2.6), and is second in assists (5.9).
- Kispert and Suggs were named the WCC Player and Freshman of the Week. Four different Zags have received the honor out of the possible five weeks. Suggs has earned the freshman recognition three of the five weeks.
- The Bulldogs 13 consecutive wins dating back to last season is the second-longest active streak in nation.
- Gonzaga currently owns the nation's longest home win streak at 43 straight victories. The Zags own the country's longest neutral win streak at seven.


SERIES NOTES
- This is the 86th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and San Francisco. GU has a 63-22 advantage in the series.
- GU is 42-4 against San Francisco under Mark Few.
- The Zags have won 19 straight versus the Dons. USF's last win in the series came on Feb 18, 2012, 66-65, at USF.
- Gonzaga has won 31 in-a-row in Spokane in the series, including all 16 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs are 36-2 against USF in Spokane all-time. The Dons last won in Spokane on Feb. 10, 1989, 67-64.
- GU is 23-18 all-time at San Francisco. The Bulldogs are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings at USF.
- GU has won four of the five all-time meetings in the West Coast Conference Tournament, including the latest in the 2020 semifinals. Joel Ayayi scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs survived a scare to beat San Francisco 81-77. Killian Tillie had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Ryan Woolridge had 16 points.
- San Francisco edged GU, 64-62, in the first-ever meeting at USF on Jan. 28, 1961.
 
SCOUTING THE DONS:
- San Francisco opened West Coast Conference play holding off San Diego at home Thursday, 70-62. Jamaree Bouyea led all scorers with 24 points for the Dons.
- Bouyea paces USF with 18 points per game and has dished out a team-high 45 assists. Khalil Shabazz and Dzmitry Ryuny add 15 and 10.3 points per outing. Ryuny grabs 6.6 rebounds a game, and has made a team-best 30 three-pointers.
- Through 11 games, San Francisco leads the WCC in three-point field goal percentage (.370) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.268).
 
A ZAG WIN WOULD ...
- Would be the 19th straight GU win in January.
- Make Gonzaga 152-17 in January games under Mark Few.
- Extend GU's home win streak to 44, currently the longest in the nation.
- Extend the nation's second-longest active win streak to 14.
- Be the 22nd straight win at home over a WCC opponent.
- Be the 39th straight victory at home over an unranked foe.
 
CONFERENCE OPENING SUCCESS
- Gonzaga has won 23 straight West Coast Conference openers, dating back to a 72-61 loss at Santa Clara in 1996.
- The Zags have won all 21 West Coast Conference openers under Mark Few.
- Gonzaga opened West Coast Conference play last season with an 85-72 win at Portland.
 
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
- This is only the second season that Gonzaga has entered conference play with an unbeaten record since joining the NCAA in 1958.
- The 2016-17 Zags squad went 12-0 in non-conference action, on its way to a 29-0 start.
- It's been eight seasons since the Bulldogs entered WCC action with more than three losses (10-5 in 2010-11).
 
THE HOT START
- This is just the third time since the 1958-59 season that Gonzaga has started the season 9-0.
- In 2012-13, the Bulldogs started the season 9-0 before falling to Illinois.
- The 1944 Zags started 11-0, before finishing 21-2.