#1/1 Gonzaga (20-0, 11-0 WCC) vs. Saint Mary's (11-6, 2-4)
THURSDAY, FEB. 18 | 6 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
TELEVISION: ESPN
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga welcomes Saint Mary's in the 105th all-time meeting between the programs Thursday at 6 p.m.
- GU leads the series 73-31, winning 19 of the last 23 meetings, and is 47-11 against SMC under Mark Few.
- Gonzaga won the first meeting this season, 73-59, at Saint Mary's on Jan. 16, led by Corey Kispert's 17 points.
- Gonzaga is 31-11 all-time at home against SMC. GU is 14-4 in the meetings in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Zags are coming off of a 100-61 win at San Francisco Saturday. GU dominated behind 61 percent shooting from the field, and 28 points from Drew Timme.
- The win at USF clinched a 24th straight 20-win season for the Bulldogs, which is the second longest active run in the country. (Kansas 30, Duke 23)
- GU is 11-0 in WCC play for the third straight season.
- In the 440 minutes of conference play so far this season, the Zags have only trailed for 45 minutes and 58 seconds. In the 320 minutes of games at home this season, GU has trailed for a total of 50 seconds.
- Gonzaga is one of the last two unbeaten teams in the nation, and one of three teams that have at least 20 wins.
- The Zags' 24 straight wins dating back to 2019-20 is the longest active streak in nation. (Next: Belmont 19). Gonzaga's 15 straight conference wins is the second-longest active streak behind Belmont's 26.
- Gonzaga owns the nation's longest active home winning streak at 47, three shy of tying the program record.
- GU is first in the nation in scoring offense (93.1), field goal percentage (55.1), and two-point percentage (64.5).
- According to KenPom, GU boasts the nation's second-most efficient offense and fifth best defense.
- Drew Timme (19.35) and Corey Kispert (19.15) lead the WCC in scoring and field goal percentage (Timme, 64.0) (Kispert, 55.8). Kispert also tops the league in three-pointers made per game (2.9) and three-point field goal percentage (47.9). Jalen Suggs is first in steals (2.17). Andrew Nembhard is first in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.56).


SERIES NOTES
- This is the 105th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's.
- GU leads the series 73-31, winning 19 of the last 23 meetings, and is 47-11 against SMC under Mark Few.
- Gonzaga won the first meeting this season, 73-59, at Saint Mary's on Jan. 16. Four Zags finished in double-digit scoring led by Corey Kispert's 17 points.
- Gonzaga is 31-11 all-time at home against SMC. GU is 14-4 in the meetings in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- In last season's meeting in Spokane, No. 3 Gonzaga finished the regular season with an 86-76 victory. Filip Petrusev scored 27 points and Corey Kispert added 20 points.
- The Zags are 26-18 all-time at Saint Mary's.
- The last 12 WCC Tournament titles have been won by either Gonzaga or SMC. GU has nine of those 12 titles.
- The Zags are 14-4 against SMC in the West Coast Conference Tournament, winning five of the last six meetings in the event. The teams have met in the tournament 10 of the past 12 years.
- The Zags won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 86-84, in Moraga on Dec. 23, 1971.
 
SCOUTING THE GAELS:
- Saint Mary's is coming off of a 60-58 loss at Pepperdine. Matthias Tass scored a game-high 17 points, and grabbed seven rebounds for the Gaels. Logan Johnson added 12 points, while Tommy Kuhse had 11 points and five assists. SMC was limited to 37 percent shooting from the field, including 4-of-24 from three-point range.
- Saint Mary's leads the WCC in scoring defense at 61.76.
- Four Gaels average double-digit scoring led by Kuhse's 14.1 points per game. Johnson chips in 11.6 points per game, while Tass and Alex Ducas average 10.7 and 10 points.
- Kuhse is second in the conference averaging 5.35 assists per game, and fourth with 1.53 steals per game. His 35.9 minutes per game is also second in the league.
 
A ZAG WIN WOULD ...
- Extend the nation's longest active win streak to 25.
- Extend the nation's longest active home win streak to 48.
- Extend the nation's second-longest active conference win streak to 15.
- Be the 54th victory out of the last 55 regular season conference games.
- Be the 26th straight win at home over a WCC opponent.
- Be the 43rd straight victory at home over an unranked foe.
- Improve Corey Kispert' career record in games he appeared in to 116-10.
- Improve Mark Few's record in February to 150-23.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Corey Kispert recently passed John Rillie for seventh in GU history for most career three-pointers. Kispert is currently at 237. Derek Raivio is sixth at 243.
- Kispert is one win shy of moving to sixth in GU history for most victories in a career (115-10 current career record).
- Kispert is one point from passing Kyle Wiltjer for 21st in GU scoring history. (Kispert at 1,374 career points)
- Kispert is averaging 19.2 points per game on 55.8 percent from the field, 47.9 percent from the three, and 89.1 percent from the foul line. No player has averaged 20 PPG on 55/45/90 shooting in D-I in at least 30 years.
 
24/20 VISION:
- GU has clinched its 24th straight 20-win season.
- The Zags' 24-straight 20-win seasons ranks second behind for the longest active run in the country. (Kansas 30)
- Prior to the previous 23 seasons, the Bulldogs reached 20 wins in a season eight times since 1907-08.
- Gonzaga has won at least 25 games in each of the last 13 consecutive seasons.
 
QUITE THE STREAK
- Gonzaga has won 17 consecutive games by double digits. That's the longest streak within a season by an Associated Press No. 1 team since 1990-91 UNLV won 19 games in a row by 10 or more.
- According to STATS, Gonzaga boasts the four longest
double-digit scoring margin win streaks since Mark Few took
over in 1999-00:
Div I, Most Consecutive Double-Digit Wins - Since 1999-00
21 - Gonzaga (2016-17)
20 - Gonzaga (2018-19)
18 - Gonzaga (2003-04)
17 - Gonzaga (Current)
17 - Cincinnati (2001-02)
 
LATELY IT'S BEEN TIMME TIME
- Over the last six contests, Drew Timme has averaged 21.8 points per game, while shooting 72.5 percent from the field.
- He's also grabbing eight rebounds per outing over that span.
- Timme scored 15 points in the first six minutes and seven seconds during the Zags' quick 17-2 start in the win at San Francisco. He started 8-for-8 from the field during that stretch, including a made three-pointer.
- The sophomore now paces the West Coast Conference with 19.35 points per game, at a league-leading 64 percent shooting from the field.
- He is fourth in the conference with four double-doubles, and fourth averaging 7.25 rebounds per game.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
- Gonzaga has played its last five games on the road, and it would have been six if not for the game at Santa Clara getting canceled.
- The last time a West Coast Conference team played five consecutive road games in league play was Loyola Marymount in 1981. No WCC team has ever played six straight league contests.
- From ESPN stats, the last team that played five straight road games and was ranked number one for all of them was UCLA in 1972-73. Those Bruins played at Loyola Chicago, Notre Dame, USC, Washington State, and Washington, and won them all during their undefeated season.
- The Zags last played four straight road conference games in 2014.