#9/8 Gonzaga (27-5) vs. #16/16 Saint Mary's (26-6)
TUESDAY, MARCH 7 | 6 P.M. | ORLEANS ARENA | LAS VEGAS
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THE TIP OFF
- Second-seeded Gonzaga and top-seeded Saint Mary's meet in the finals of the 2023 University Credit Union West Coast Conference Tournament in the Orleans Arena Tuesday at 6 p.m.
- Gonzaga is 64-16 all-time in the West Coast Conference Tournament with 20 titles and 29 finals appearances, including each of the last 26 seasons. The Bulldogs are 50-5 under Mark Few in the WCC Tournament with title-game appearances in all 24 seasons. The Zags are 31-3 in the WCC Tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas. GU has appeared in the last 26 WCC Tournament Championship games, an NCAA record.
- Drew Timme is five points from passing Frank Burgess for the leading scorer in Gonzaga program history. Timme is currently at 2,192 points in his four-year career with the Zags.
- In their last game, Anton Watson scored 20 points and Drew Timme had 17 to help the Bulldogs beat pesky San Francisco 84-73. Julian Strawther scored 15 points while playing in his hometown and Ben Gregg had 12.
- The Zags clinched a share of the 2022-23 West Coast Conference regular season title with Saint Mary's. GU has either shared or owned the WCC regular season title outright in each of the last 11 seasons. It's the 26th WCC regular season title in program history, with 22 coming under Head Coach Mark Few. GU currently owns the nation's longest active streak of regular season conference titles at 11.
- Gonzaga leads the country averaging 87.8 points per game and shooting 52.7 percent from the field. The Zags are also first in effective field goal percentage (.590). Timme is third in the nation with 264 made field goals and is seventh with 671 points. His 21.0 points per game rank 14th in the nation. Timme and Anton Watson are first and second in the WCC in field goal percentage at 62.0 and 61.3 percent. Watson is second in two-point field goal percentage at 67.2 percent. Timme is fifth averaging 7.4 rebounds. Strawther's 6.1 rebounds per game are 11th. Nolan Hickman is second with a 2.36 assist-to-turnover ratio. Anton Watson is second averaging 1.88 steals.
 
ZAGS IN THE WCC TOURNAMENT
- Gonzaga is 64-16 all-time in the West Coast Conference Tournament with 20 titles and 29 finals appearances, including each of the last 26 seasons.
- The Bulldogs are 50-5 under Mark Few in the WCC Tournament with title-game appearances in all 24 seasons.
- The Zags are 31-3 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 15.
- Gonzaga has won the opening game of tournament the past 26 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 31-6 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 26 years. The Zags last loss in the WCC semifinals was 1994, 83-75, to San Diego in Santa Clara.
- The Bulldogs are 29-2 in semifinal games at the tournament, winning all 15 in Las Vegas.
- Gonzaga is 11-3 in the WCC Tournament finals played in Las Vegas.
- The Bulldogs are 20-8 in championship games at the tournament.
 
SCOUTING THE GAELS
- Saint Mary's held off a furious BYU rally in the first semifinal in the WCC Championships Monday, 76-69. The Gaels led by 27 points early in the second half before BYU closed the gap to three points with 32 seconds left in regulation. SMC's Alex Ducas played all 40 minutes and scored 23 points with seven rebounds. He made four three-pointers. Aidan Mahaney added 18 points for the Gaels.
- The Gaels are fifth in the country in scoring defense (59.3) and 14th in scoring margin (+12.6). Saint Mary's is seventh in rebound margin at +7.6. SMC tops the WCC in field goal percentage defense (40.7). Ducas is 21st in the country shooting 41.6 percent on threes, which tops the WCC.
- Four Gaels average double-digit scoring led by Aidan Mahaney's 14.7 points per game. He's been named the WCC Freshman of the Week 10 times this season. Saxen adds 12.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per outing. Johnson averages 14.5 points and has a team-best 119 assists.
 
SERIES NOTES
- This is the 113th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. The Bulldogs lead the series 79-33, winning 24 of the last 29 meetings.
- Gonzaga is 55-13 against SMC under Mark Few.
- The Bulldogs trailed the Gaels for just over a minute in the 80 minutes of regulation in the two meetings this season.
- In the first matchup this season in Moraga on Feb. 4, Aidan Mahaney scored 18 points leading No. 18 Saint Mary's to a 78-70 overtime win over No. 12 Gonzaga. Drew Timme scored 23 points to lead Gonzaga, while Malachi Smith and Julian Strawther added 13 and 10.
- In this season's meeting in Spokane on Feb. 25, Drew Timme scored 19 points and No. 12 Gonzaga earned a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title with a 77-68 win over No. 15 Saint Mary's.
- Gonzaga is 36-10 all-time at home against SMC. GU is 18-4 in the meetings in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs are 26-20 all-time at Saint Mary's.
- The Zags are 17-3 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, 94-77, in Spokane in 1955.
 
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 nine of the 11 meetings when both teams have been ranked.
 
UP NEXT
- Gonzaga awaits its next opponent in the NCAA Tournament.
- The selection show is Sunday at 3 p.m.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Drew Timme ranks second in program history with 2,192 points and eighth with 853 rebounds. He is five points from passing Frank Burgess for first. Timme is seven rebounds from fifth in GU history.
- Anton Watson is ninth all-time in GU history with 156 steals in his career. He needs two more for eighth and three for seventh. Watson is also two steals from fifth for most in a single season.