#5/4 Gonzaga (9-2, 0-0 WCC) vs. Northern Arizona (4-7, 0-0 Big Sky)
MONDAY, DEC. 20 | 6 P.M. | McCARTHEY CENTER | SPOKANE
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THE TIP OFF
- No. 5/4 Gonzaga welcomes Northern Arizona Monday night at 6, in the Zags' final game before a seven day break with no games for the holidays.
- The Bulldogs have played five ranked opponents already this season, which leads the nation, and four teams currently ranked inside the Top-10. GU has faced four ranked foes in its last six games. Gonzaga has beat three ranked teams by double-digits, which also tops Div. 1.
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 69-55 victory over No. 25/24 Texas Tech in Phoenix Saturday. GU made a season-high 13 three-pointers. Andrew Nembhard (16) and Rasir Bolton (15) combined for 31 points. Nembhard was named a 2021 Jerry Colangelo Classic Player of the Game following his performance.
- The Zags appear in the Associated Press poll for the 102nd consecutive ranking, the longest current streak in the nation, with Villanova second at 46. Gonzaga is the only program in the country to appear in every AP poll since 2017, with a No. 5 average ranking. Since 2017, the Bulldogs have been in the Top 5 for a national-best 66 polls (65 percent of the 102 rankings). Kansas is second appearing in 62 polls.
- GU is second in the nation in field goal percentage (52.2), is fifth in rebound margin (12.7) and defensive rebounds (31.1), ninth scoring margin (20.4), 10th in scoring offense (84.1), and 12th in assists per game (18.0).
- Chet Holmgren is fourth in the country with 42 blocks and averaging 3.8 per game and sixth shooting 77.2 percent from inside-the-arc. Drew Timme is 11th in the nation shooting 62.8 percent from the field. Holmgren currently leads the WCC in rebounds (8.5) and blocks (3.8) per game.
- The Zags are second in KenPom's rankings in offensive efficiency with the 13th-most efficient defense.
 
SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS
- Northern Arizona is coming off a 69-59 loss to San Diego in tthe final game of the 2021 Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix Saturday. Jalen Cone led NAU with 20 points and three assists. Carson Towt added 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, and Mason Stark had 13 points.
- Jalen Cone averages a team-high 17.6 points per game and has dished out 35 assists. Nik Mains adds 11.1 points per outing, along with 5.8 rebounds.
- Carson Towt is grabbing a team-best 9.5 rebounds and 3.45 assists per game, while scoring 9.0 points.
- Northern Arizona was voted ninth by the coaches and 10th by the media in the Big Sky Preseason Polls.
- The Lumberjacks, led by third-year head coach Shane Burcar, posted a 6-16 overall record and a 4-10 conference mark, landing them in 10th in the Big Sky standings. NAU posted its first conference tournament victory in six years, defeating Portland State in the first round.
- NAU returns eight players from last season's squad led by redshirt junior Nik Mains, who averaged a career-best 8.8 points and shot 40.5 percent behind the arc.
 
ON THIS DAY IN ZAG HISTORY
- Gonzaga is 8-9 on Dec. 20 since joining Div. 1 in 1958-59.
- The last game on this date was a 63-50 win for No. 8 Gonzaga over Cal Poly in the 2014 Battle in Seattle.
- On this date in 2011, the Zags beat Butler, 71-55.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Drew Timme has 1,100 points in his career.
- Rasir Bolton is two rebounds from 300 in his career.
- Bolton is seven games shy of 100 in his career.
- Julian Strawther is four rebounds from 100 in his career.
 
A ZAG WIN WOULD ...
- Extend the nation's longest home win streak to 58 games, also continuing the program record.
- Be the 63rd in-a-row over an unranked foe.
- Be the 43rd straight home win over a non-conference opponent and 53rd straight at home over an unranked foe.
 
WHAT'S UP NEXT
- After a seven-day break without games for the holidays, Gonzaga hosts North Alabama on Dec. 28 at 2 p.m.
- It's the final tune-up before West Coast Conference play starts at San Diego on Dec. 30.
- This is the second all-time meeting between the programs, as the Zags defeated the Lions 96-51 in Spokane on Dec. 28, 2018. GU opened the game on a 29-1 run.
- This is only the third-ever meeting with a current member from the Atlantic Sun Conference, beating Bellarmine earlier this season, 92-50.
 
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
- The Zags are seeking their 10th win of the season against Northern Arizona.
- Gonzaga has entered conference-play with at least 10 wins in six of the past eight seasons. (2020-21 only nine non-conference games total)
- It's been 11 seasons since the Bulldogs entered WCC
action with more than three losses (10-5 in 2010-11).
 
POWER IN THE PAINT
- Gonzaga leads the nation shooting 63.3 percent inside-the-arc. The next best percentage is Oklahoma's 60.3.
- Chet Holmgren is sixth in the country making 77.2 percent from inside-the-perimeter. Holmgren is first in the West Coast Conference, while Nolan Hickman (69.2) and Drew Timme (66.7) are third and fifth from two-point range. Julian Strawther is ninth in the WCC at 62.5 percent.
- The Bulldogs have outscored their opponent in the paint in 42 of the past 44 games (Iowa on 12/19/20 and Texas Tech 12/18/21). GU is 41-3 during this stretch.
- Gonzaga had its 65-game streak of shooting 50 percent or better inside the paint came to an end versus Alabama (21/44, 47 percent) (11/25, 44 percent vs Texas Tech).
 
TIMME TIDBITS
- GU is 20-1 when Drew Timme scores 20 or more points.
- Timme had his double-digit scoring streak snapped at 33 straight games against Texas Tech (7 points, 2/4 FG), which ranks fourth all-time at Gonzaga. Rui Hachimura is third at 34 games, while Brandon Clarke and Adam Morrison both had 37-game streaks.
- Timme's record in games he's appeared in is 72-5 (.935).
 
QUICK NUGGETS
- In Gonzaga's six home games so far this season (240 minutes), the Zags have trailed for four minutes and 23 seconds. Last season in the 480 minutes of home games, GU trailed for a total of 24 minutes and one second.
- The Bulldogs largest deficit at home this season was three points, 8-5, at the 15:45 mark of the first half versus Bellarmine.
- Since March 2016, Gonzaga is 25-9 vs. ranked opponents. The Zags had a 10 game win streak versus ranked teams (2019-21) before loss to Baylor in NCAA Championship, and has now won 13 of last 16 games against ranked foes.
- The Bulldogs are 81-4 in last 85 games when four players have double-digit scoring.
- Gonzaga has won 120 straight games when leading by 10 or more points at halftime.
- GU's 29-game home win streak versus West Coast Conference foes is tied for the second-longest in program history. (1st- 36 wins 2011-15)