#12/14 Gonzaga (18-4, 7-1 WCC) vs. Santa Clara (16-7, 4-4 WCC)
THURSDAY, FEB. 2 | 8 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
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THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga and Santa Clara meet for the 100th time Thursday at 8 p.m. in Spokane.
- In the Zags' last game, Julian Strawther had a career-high 40 points, including eight 3-pointers, and No. 14 GU pulled away down the stretch for an 82-67 victory at Portland. Anton Watson added 17 points.
- Gonzaga leads the country shooting 51.8 percent from the field and averaging 86.3 points per game. Drew Timme is third in the nation with 188 made field goals and is seventh with 471 points. His 21.4 points per game rank eighth in the nation. He leads the conference shooting 60.8 percent from the field. He is sixth in the WCC averaging 7.5 rebounds. Julian Strawther's 7.0 rebounds per game are seventh. Nolan Hickman tops the West Coast Conference with a 2.17 assist-to-turnover ratio. Anton Watson is fourth averaging 1.82 steals.
- GU ranks fifth in KenPom's offensive efficiency, finishing in the top three in each of the past four seasons.
- The Zags are No. 12 in the Associated Press poll. The Bulldogs' 127 straight AP Poll appearances top the nation. Houston is the next closest at 58 consecutive appearances in the Top 25. 
- The Bulldogs have come back from double-digit deficits in five victories this season.
- Drew Timme was named to the Wooden and Oscar Robertson National Player Midseason Watch Lists.
 
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
- Santa Clara is coming off back-to-back setbacks to Saint Mary's and Pacific. Against Pacific in Santa Clara Saturday, the Broncos fell 95-89. Brandin Podziemski had one of his best games in a Bronco uniform, scoring a career-high 38 points - his third 30-point outing of the season. Podziemski was 13-for-21 (both career highs) from the floor and tied his career-high best of six treys. The Greenfield, Wisc., product also pulled down nine rebounds - just shy of his eighth double-double - and had three assists. Justice chipped in 13 points with five rebounds and Stewart scored 10 points, all in the second half, to go with a team-best four assists.
- Podziemski, a sophomore transfer from Illinois, is third in the conference averaging 19.0 points per game, second grabbing 8.2 rebounds and seventh dishing out 3.3 assists. He's also third with 1.9 steals per outing.
- Carlos Stewart and Keshawn Justice chip in 15.0 and 13.6 points per outing. Parker Braun grabs 6.6 rebounds per game.
 
SERIES NOTES
- This is the 100th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Santa Clara. GU owns a 69-30 advantage in the series.
- GU has won 48 of the last 50 meetings against the Broncos, including the last 25 straight matchups.
- Santa Clara's last win in the series was an 85-71 home victory on Jan. 20, 2011.
- The Bulldogs are 45-4 against SCU under Mark Few.
- In the meeting earlier this season on Jan. 7, Drew Timme and Nolan Hickman scored 20 points each and No. 9 Gonzaga beat Santa Clara 81-76. Julian Strawther had 18 points and Ben Gregg grabbed eight rebounds.
- The Bulldogs are 34-6 all-time in Spokane in the series, and has won 14 straight at home versus the Broncos. SCU's last win in Spokane was on Feb. 12, 2007, 84-73.
- In last season's meeting in Spokane, Drew Timme had 23 points and nine rebounds and Gonzaga won its 10th straight WCC regular-season title, with an 81-69 win in Spokane on Feb. 19. Rasir Bolton contributed 18 points.
- Gonzaga is 25-23 all-time at Santa Clara, but have won 21 of their last 22 at SCU. The Zags have won 11 straight at Santa Clara.
- Santa Clara won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 67-62, in Santa Clara on Feb. 3, 1959.
 
UP NEXT
- The 110th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. The Bulldogs lead the series 77-32, winning 23 of the last 28 meetings.
- Gonzaga is 51-12 against SMC under Mark Few.
- In the latest matchup between the programs, Gonzaga picked apart one of the nation's toughest defenses to win another West Coast Conference tournament title in Las Vegas, 82-69, on March 8. Rasir Bolton had 18 points and top-ranked GU outlasted No. 17 Saint Mary's to win its eighth WCC tournament title in nine years.
- The Bulldogs are 26-19 all-time at Saint Mary's.
- Saint Mary's won last season's meeting in Moraga, 67-57, on Feb. 26. Rasir Bolton scored 16 points. The Gaels were No. 23 and GU was No. 1. It snapped a seven-game Bulldog win streak, including five in-a-row in Moraga.
- Gonzaga is 34-11 all-time at home against SMC. GU is 17-4 in the meetings in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Zags are 16-4 against SMC in the WCC Tournament, winning seven of the last eight meetings in the event. The teams have met in the tournament 13 of the past 15 years.
- The Bulldogs won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 86-84, in Moraga on Dec. 23, 1971.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Drew Timme ranks third in program history with 1,992 points and eighth with 782 rebounds. He is 24 points from second. Timme is two rebounds from seventh in GU history.
- Malachi Smith is seven points from 1,500 in his career. He is six made free-throws from 300 in his career and is at 150 steals in his career.
- Rasir Bolton is seven assists from 350 in his career.
- Anton Watson is 14 steals from 150 in his career.
 
ALL ROSEY FOR JULIAN IN PORTLAND
- Julian Strawther racked up a career-high 40 points in Gonzaga's 82-67 win at Portland. His previous career-high was 23 points was set in Portland earlier this season against Xavier with a then career-high five made threes.
- At Portland, the junior made 14 of his 21 shots from the field, including eight of 12 from behind-the-arc.
- His eight made threes were the most since Corey Kispert matched Dan Dickau and Kevin Pangos program record of nine against Virginia in the 2020-21 season.
- He was the first Zag to score 40 points in a game since Kyle Wiltjer totaled 45 points at Pacific on Feb. 19, 2016.
- Strawther's 40 points were the second-most by a WCC player this season. San Diego's Eric Williams Jr. had 43 versus Utah State on Nov. 17.
- He is the fourth player under Mark Few to score 40 points in a game joining Adam Morrison (5x), Ronny Turiaf and Wiltjer.
 
STRAWTHER NAMED WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
- Following his performance in Portland, Julian Strawther was named the University Credit Union West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week Monday.
- Strawther received the honor for the first time in his career.