1-seed Gonzaga (25-3) vs. 2-seed Saint Mary's (25-6)
TUESDAY, MARCH 8 | 6 P.M. | ORLEANS ARENA | LAS VEGAS
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THE TIP OFF
- No. 1/1 Gonzaga appears in its 25th straight West Coast Conference Tournament Championship Game facing No. 17/17 and second-seeded Saint Mary's Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Orleans Arena.
- GU is 62-16 all-time in the WCC Tournament with 19 titles and 28 finals appearances, including each of the last 25 seasons. The Zags are 29-3 in the tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas.
- Gonzaga is 10-3 in the WCC Tournament finals played in Las Vegas, and 19-8 in championship games in the event's history. The Zags' 25 straight finals appearances is the longest active streak of its kind in the nation.
- GU has clinched its 15th straight 25-win season, and is currently the only program in the country with 15 straight 25-win seasons. Kansas (2005-20) owned the NCAA record with 15 straight 25-win seasons.
- Gonzaga is No. 1 in the AP Poll, the 41st week as the nation's top team and seventh this season. GU boasts a 65-8 record as No. 1 in the AP poll. Since 2017, Gonzaga has been No. 1 in 38 of the 113 AP polls (33 percent).
- GU is first in the nation in scoring offense (88.0), scoring margin (22.8), and defensive rebounds (32.39), second in field goal percentage (52.6), two-point percentage (60.9), third in rebound margin (9.2), field goal percentage defense (37.6), assists per game (18.4), rebounds per game (41.96) and win-loss percentage (89.3), fourth in blocked shots per game (6.0), and seventh in assist-turnover ratio (1.55).
- Andrew Nembhard is seventh in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.16). Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme are eighth and 14th in the nation shooting 62 percent and 58.7 percent from the field. Holmgren is fourth with 103 blocks and fourth averaging 3.68 blocks per game. He's eighth grabbing 7.96 defensive rebounds per game.
- Timme was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, while Chet Holmgren was the Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year. Timme, Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard earned First Team All-WCC honors.
- Timme and Holmgren were named Second Team All-American by Sporting News, and were named to the Wooden Award National Ballot. Holmgren is a Malone Award Finalist (nation's top power forward), Nembhard is a Cousy Finalist (nation's top point guard), and Timme is an Abdul-Jabbar Finalist (nation's top center).
- GU is 11-3 versus Quad 1 and 2 teams, 9-3 vs. Quad 1, the fourth-most wins in the nation vs. Quad 1 teams.
- The Zags are first in KenPom's rankings (second offensive efficiency and sixth efficient defense).
- The Bulldogs have won 77 of their last 82 games, and since the start of the 2019-20 season, GU has won a national-best 87 out of their last 93 games. Gonzaga is also 58-4 since the start of 2020-21.
 
SERIES INFO
- This is the 109th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. The Bulldogs lead the series 76-32, winning 22 of the last 27 meetings.
- Gonaga is 50-12 against SMC under Mark Few.
- The Zags are 15-4 against SMC in the WCC Tournament, winning six of the last seven meetings in the event. The teams have met in the tournament 12 of the past 14 years.
- Gonzaga won the matchup this season in Spokane, 74-58. Drew Timme scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Chet Holmgren had 11 points and 13 rebounds.
- The Bulldogs are 26-19 all-time at Saint Mary's.
- Saint Mary's won the meeting in Moraga, 67-57, on Feb. 26. Rasir Bolton scored 16 points.
- Gonzaga is 34-11 all-time at home against SMC. GU is 17-4 in the meetings in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 86-84, in Moraga on Dec. 23, 1971.
 
THE BEST IN THE WEST
- Gonzaga and Saint Mary's have finished in the top two of the West Coast Conference standings in 11 of the past 14 seasons, and 14 of the last 18 seasons. (SMC: second last two seasons, fourth in 2013-14 and third in 2006-07)
- The last 22 regular season titles have been won or shared by Gonzaga or Saint Mary's. The Zags have won or shared 20, while SMC has won or shared two.
- The last 13 WCC Tournament titles have been won by either Gonzaga or SMC. GU has 10 of those 13 titles.
- Gonzaga has won seven of the eight meetings when both teams have been ranked.
 
SCOUTING THE GAELS
- Saint Mary's won its fifth straight game, holding off third-seeded Santa Clara in the WCC Tournament semifinals Monday, 75-72. The Gaels led for the entire game, and by as many as 15 points in the second half. Tommy Kuhse scored 27 points with four assists and five rebounds. Matthias Tass and Logan Johnson added 18 and 14 points.
- Saint Mary's is sixth in the nation holding opponents to 59.4 points per game. Logan Johnson is 22nd with 63 steals.
- Four Gaels average double-digit scoring led by Tass at 12.6 points per game. He's also grabbing 6.2 rebounds per outing. Kuhse adds 11.9 points per game, while Johnson and Alex Ducas average 11.2 and 10.2. Kuhse dishes out a team-high 3.61 assists per game, and Johnson has 2.1 steals.
 
ZAGS IN THE WCC TOURNAMENT
- Gonzaga is 62-16 all-time in the West Coast Conference Tournament with 19 titles and 28 finals appearances, including each of the last 25 seasons.
- The Bulldogs are 48-5 under Mark Few in the WCC Tournament with title-game appearances in all 23 seasons.
- The Zags are 29-3 in the WCC Tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas.
- GU's three losses in the event in Las Vegas have all been to Saint Mary's, the 2010, 2012 and 2019 finals.
- The Bulldogs were 34-13 in the conference tournament prior to it coming to Vegas.
- The Zags have never lost an opening game of the tournament in Las Vegas, winning all 14.
- Gonzaga has won the opening game of tournament the past 25 years, dating back to a loss in 64-59 in the 1997 quarterfinals to fourth-seeded San Diego as a fifth-seed.
- The Bulldogs are 30-6 in opening games at the event, including 14-6 in the quarterfinals (nine straight wins).
- Gonzaga has won in the WCC tournament semifinals in each of the past 25 years. The Zags last loss in the WCC semifinals was 1994, 83-75, to San Diego in Santa Clara.
- The Bulldogs are 28-2 in semifinal games at the tournament, winning all 14 in Las Vegas.
- Gonzaga is 10-3 in the WCC Tournament finals played in Las Vegas.
- The Bulldogs are 19-8 in championship games at the tournament.
 
TOP DOG IN VEGAS
- Gonzaga is the one seed in the 2022 West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.
- GU has been the top seed in the WCC Tournament in 11 of the 14 years that the event has been in Las Vegas since 2009. The other three years, GU was the two-seed.
- Gonzaga has been the top seed in the WCC Tournament 20 times in program history.
- GU is 42-6 in the WCC Tournament as the one-seed.
 
ON THIS DAY IN ZAG HISTORY
- Gonzaga is 7-3 on March 8 since joining Div. 1 in 1958-59.
- In their last game on this date, the Zags beat Saint Mary's, 78-55, in last season's WCC Tournament semifinals.
- The Bulldogs have won three straight games on March 8.
- GU beat Saint Mary's on this date in 2021 (78-55), 2016 (85-75), and in 2004 (84-71). The Zags beat Santa Clara on this date in 2014 (77-75), 2009 (94-59) and 1992 (54-51).
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Chet Holmgren's 103 blocks rank second in program history for most in a season. Brandon Clarke set the record in 2018-19 with 117. Clarke had 87 blocks after 28 games that season, averaging 3.11 per outing.
- Rasir Bolton is four steals from 100 in his career.
- Anton Watson is six steals from 100 in his career.
- Drew Timme is at 1,423 points in his career. He is one point away from 21st all-time at Gonzaga.
- Drew Timme is 21 rebounds from 600 in his career.
- Rasir Bolton is 20 assists from 300 in his career.
 
ZAGS REACH 25 WINS ... AGAIN
- Gonzaga has won at least 25 games in each of the last 15 consecutive seasons.
- The Zags have reached the 25-win plateau in 18 of the last 19 seasons, and 22 of the last 24.
- Kansas previously owned the NCAA Div. 1 record with 15 straight 25-win seasons from 2005 to 2020.