#1/1 Gonzaga (3-0, 0-0 WCC) vs. Bellarmine (0-3, 0-0 ASUN)
FRIDAY, NOV. 19 | 6 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
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THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga hosts Bellarmine University, located in Louisville, Ky., in the first-ever meeting between the programs Friday night at 6 p.m., in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs are coming off an 84-57 win over Alcorn State Monday. Julian Strawther scored a career-high 28 points for GU. Hunter Sallis added 16 points in just his third collegiate game.
- The Zags own the country's longest home win streak with 54 consecutive victories inside the McCarthey Athletic Center, breaking the previous program record of 50 set from 2003 to 2007.
- Drew Timme was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week and the NCAA March Madness Player of the Week Monday. Chet Holmgren was selected as the WCC Freshman of the Week.
- The Zags are No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll entering the season. It's the second-ever No. 1 preseason ranking in program history, but also the second straight season GU achieved the honor.
- For the first time in program history, Gonzaga was ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Coaches' preseason poll.
- In the season-opening win over Dixie State, Chet Holmgren had 14 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and seven blocks. Per ESPN Stats and Info, Holmgren was the first player over the last 25 seasons with 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocked shots in his Div. 1 debut.
- Drew Timme was the lone unanimous selection to the 2021-22 Preseason Associated Press All-American Team.
- Chet Holmgren, Andrew Nembhard and Drew Timme were all named to the preseason Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award Player of the Year preseason watch lists.
- Last season, the Zags advanced to the national championship game following a 31-0 start to the season. Gonzaga won the league regular season title for a national-best ninth straight season. The Bulldogs became the first team in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 30 wins in five straight seasons.
- In 2020-21, the Bulldogs advanced to their 21st straight NCAA Tournament, and sixth consecutive Sweet 16, after clinching the program's ninth straight WCC regular season title.
- Gonzaga won 31 games last season, including 15-0 in West Coast Conference play. It was the fifth straight 30-win season, seventh in the last eight seasons and eighth in the last 10 seasons.
 
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
- Bellarmine is in its second season of Div. 1, and compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference and is currently transitioning to NCAA Division I.
- In its first Div. 1 season, Bellarmine fell in the College Basketball Invitational semifinals last season, after finishing with a 14-8 record.
- The Knights were picked third in the ASUN media preseason poll and fourth in the coaches' poll.
- Senior Dylan Penn was named the to the league's Preseason All-Conference team. He was named first Team All-ASUN following his junior year when he averaged 12.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
- Bellarmine opens the season with six games away from home, including four straight true road contests. The Knights fell at WCC foe Saint Mary's Wednesday, 73-64.
- Penn currently leads the team averaging 15 points per game, has grabbed a team-best 12 boards and dished out a team-best 12 assists. He scored 27 points at Saint Mary's.
- CJ Fleming adds 10.3 points per outing for Bellarmine.
- Fleming and Penn both scored 14 points at Purdue, while Garrett Tipton had 15 at Murray State.
 
ON THIS DAY IN ZAG HISTORY
- Gonzaga is 7-0 on Nov. 19 since joining Div. 1 in 1958-59.
- The last game on this date was a 72-66 win over UT-Arlington in Spokane in 2019. Drew Timme had seven points and Anton Watson had three.
- GU also opened its run to the 2018 Maui Invitational title with an 84-78 win over Illinois on this date.
- In 2014 on this date in front of a nationally-televised audience, the Bulldogs cruised to a 94-42 home win over Saint Joseph's.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Drew Timme is 11 points from 1,000 in his career.
- Andrew Nembhard is 49 points from 1,000 in his career.
- Nembhard is 22 rebounds from 300 in his career.
 
BULLDOGS SWEEP WCC WEEKLY HONORS
- Gonzaga's Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren were named the West Coast Conference Player and Freshman of the Week the league office announced Monday.
- The Zags sweep the conference honors in the first week of this season's awards.
- Timme scored a career-high 37 points to go along with seven rebounds in Gonzaga's convincing 86-74 victory over No. 5 Texas.
- Holmgren opened his collegiate career with 14 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and seven blocks in Gonzaga's season-opening victory over Dixie State.
 
GONZAGA AT NO. 1
- This week's poll 19th straight that the Zags sit at No. 1. That streak matches the fifth-longest in AP poll history with Kentucky in 2015. UCLA topped the ranking for 46 consecutive polls from 1971 to 1974.
- In total, the Bulldogs have spent 36 weeks at No. 1 in the AP Poll in program history, which ranks 10th all-time.
- GU has now been ranked No. 1 in six of the last 10 seasons.
- Gonzaga boasts a 58-6 record all-time as the No. 1 ranked team in the AP Poll.
 
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
- Gonzaga's 54 straight wins mark the longest streak in program history, breaking the record set from 2003 to 2007.
- During the Zags' 54-game home win streak, GU has won 27 times by 30-plus points, 35 times by 20 or more points, and 27 of the wins have been versus WCC opponents.
- Since the McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004, Gonzaga boasts a 239-15 record at home.
- The Zags' 93.9 winning percentage at home since 2004-05 ranks second in the nation.
- GU has sold out every game since the 6,000-seat McCarthey Athletic Center opened, a streak of 242 games.