#7/8 Gonzaga (7-2) vs. Mississippi Valley State (0-9)
MONDAY, DEC. 11 | 6 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
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THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga welcomes Mississippi Valley State to the McCarthey Athletic Center for the third meeting between the programs Monday at 6 p.m. The Zags won the previous two matchups.
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 78-73 loss at Washington Saturday night. Graham Ike led GU with 18 points and Nolan Hickman scored 17. Anton Watson finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Gonzaga led for 32 minutes and by as many as 11 points early in the second half, before the Huskies rallied for the win.
- The Zags are No. 7 in the Associated Press poll. The Bulldogs' 138 straight AP Poll appearances top the nation.
- Graham Ike was named preseason first team All-American by The Sporting News.
 
ABOUT THE DELTA DEVILS
- Mississippi Valley State is looking for its first win of the season and are coming off a 74-39 loss at Liberty. Donovan Sanders led MVSU with 18 points and six rebounds. Arecko Gipson added 13 points.
- All 13 of the Delta Devils non-conference games are on the road away from their home court in Itta Bena, Miss.
- MVSU's non-conference slate includes ranked foes UConn, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, and Baylor, along with other West Coast Conference opponents Santa Clara, Pacific, and Santa Clara.
- Rayquan Brown averages a team-high 15.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Delta Devils. Sanders adds 10.7 points and a team-best 2.1 assists.
 
SERIES INFO
- Gonzaga has won the two previous meetings against Mississippi Valley State.
- The Zags beat MVSU in the 2009 season-opener, 92-74, in Spokane.
- Gonzaga cruised to a 97-63 victory over the Delta Devils in the latest meeting Dec. 1, 2016, in Spokane.
- The Bulldogs are 17-0 against current members from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and 14-0 against the conference under Mark Few. GU hosts SWAC member Jackson State Dec. 20.
 
UP NEXT
- Gonzaga and UConn meet in a ranked clash in Climate Pledge Arena in the Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off in Friday at 7 p.m.
- It will be the seventh all-time meeting between Gonzaga and UConn. The Huskies have won four of the six previous matchups.
- The six previous meetings were on a neutral court.
- UConn cruised in the last meeting, beating the Zags 82-54 in last season's NCAA Tournament West Region Final in Las Vegas.
- Prior to the latest matchup, five of the previous meetings were decided by five points or less and a combined 18 points. Three of the matchups have been decided by one possession.
- UCONN won the first all-time meeting, 67-62, in the 1999 NCAA Tournament West Region Final in Phoenix on March 20, 1999.
- Since 2014-15, the Zags are 8-2 against current Big East foes.
 
RECORDS FALL VERSUS LIONS
- Gonzaga set multiple new McCarthey Athletic Center records in the win over Arkansas - Pine Bluff.
- The Bulldogs' 65 rebounds were a new best, breaking the 15-year-old mark of 60 set versus Pepperdine.
- GU's 45 made field goals and 79 attempted field goals were both new records.
 
DISHING IT OUT
- The Zags' 28 assists against Arkansas - Pine Bluff were the second-most in McCarthey Athletic Center history, with the record of 29 set in 2018.
- The 28 assists were also the second-most by a Gonzaga squad under Mark Few.
- Five Bulldogs had at least three assists against UAPB, and seven GU players had multiple assists.
- Gonzaga's starting backcourt had a combined 11 assists to two turnovers.
 
DOGS OFF THE LEASH
- The Zags jumped out to a 28-2 lead over Arkansas - Pine Bluff to start the game.
- Over the past six games, GU has got out to fast starts
                at Washington led 19-11 at 13:23 mark
                vs. UAPB led 28-2 at 13:25 mark
                vs. USC led 20-6 at 13:25 mark
                vs. CSUB led 20-9 at 14:06 mark
                vs. UCLA led 20-9 at 10:34 mark
                vs. Syracuse led 22-8 at 11:15 mark
- Gonzaga has yet to trail at halftime this season.
 
WHERE WE RANK
- Gonzaga is seventh in the country in rebound margin (12.8), and ninth averaging 44.11 rebounds per game.
- The Zags are 20th in the nation in field goal percentage (50.2) and 21st in field goal percentage defense (38.1). The Zags lead the West Coast Conference in each of those stat categories.
- GU is 14th in the country averaging 17.56 fastbreak points per game.
 
BALANCING ACT
- Five Zags have finished in double-digit scoring in each of the last four games.
- In the win over USC, six Bulldogs scored in double-figures, and Anton Watson had nine points.
- GU has had at least three double-digit scorers in its first nine games of the season, with five double-digit scorers in four of the games, and two outings with six double-digit scorers.