#23/21 Gonzaga (11-4, 2-0 WCC) at Santa Clara (11-6, 2-0)
THURSDAY, JAN. 11 | 6:30 P.M. | LEAVEY CENTER | SANTA CLARA, CA
TELEVISION: ESPN
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THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga takes its first West Coast Conference road trip to Santa Clara Thursday at 6:30 p.m. It's the 101st meeting between the teams. GU has won 25 straight versus SCU, dating back to 2011.
- The Zags are 26-23 all-time at Santa Clara, but have won 22 of their last 23 at SCU, including the last 11.
- Head Coach Mark Few is one win from 700 in his head coaching career. Few would rank second in NCAA Div. 1 history behind Kentucky's Adolph Rupp (700-136) as the fastest to 700 wins.
- Few currently boasts the best winning percentage among active head coaches at 83.4 percent, which also is the best in NCAA Div. 1 all-time with a minimum of 10 seasons.
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 101-74 win over San Diego Saturday. Ben Gregg had a career-high 22 points, Graham Ike scored 15 of his 19 points during a big first half. Nolan Hickman also scored 15 points in the first half and finished with 17, including three 3-pointers. Ryan Nembhard added 18 points, and the Zags made 10 threes.
- The Zags are No. 23 in the Associated Press poll. The Bulldogs' 143 straight AP Poll appearances top the nation, and now ranks 10th all-time in the poll's history. Houston has the second-longest current streak at 74.
- GU leads the West Coast Conference in scoring (84.9), field goal percentage (.498), rebounds per game (42.5, 13th in NCAA Div. 1), assist to turnover ratio (1.40), and assists per game (16.5).
- The Bulldogs have won 156 straight games when leading by 10 or more points at halftime.
- Anton Watson moved to No. 2 in program history with 182 steals in his career, trailing only John Stockton.
 
ABOUT THE BRONCOS
- After falling to Yale in its non-conference finale, Santa Clara won its opening WCC games last week at Loyola Marymount (68-57) and at Pepperdine (78-72).
- Arizona transfer Adama Bal totaled 49 points in the wins, while Carlos Marshall Jr. had 25 points.
- Bal scored 28 in the victory at Pepperdine, going 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. Marshall has 12 points and Johnny O'Neil added 11. Brenton Knapper finished with nine points and nine rebounds.
- Bal averages a team-high 15.9 points and three assists. Marshall chips in 14.2 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds.
- So far this season, SCU boasts wins over Stanford, Oregon, and Washington State, all away from Santa Clara.
 
SERIES INFO
- This will be the 101st all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Santa Clara. GU owns a 70-30 advantage in the series.
- GU has won 49 of the last 51 meetings against the Broncos, including the last 26 straight matchups.
- Santa Clara's last win in the series was an 85-71 home victory on Jan. 20, 2011.
- The Bulldogs are 46-4 against SCU under Mark Few.
- Gonzaga is 26-23 all-time at Santa Clara, but have won 22 of their last 23 at SCU. The Zags have won 12 straight at Santa Clara.
- In last season's meeting in Santa Clara, 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 to help the Bulldogs. GU trailed by 14 points in the first half but shot 48.3% (14 of 29) — including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc — the rest of the way to pull out the win.
- In the last meeting, No. 12 Gonzaga defeated Santa Clara 88-70 in Spokane. The Bulldogs outscored the Broncos 28-4 in the paint and held an eight-rebound advantage in the first half. A 13-1 run midway through the first gave GU a 16-point lead it wouldn't relinquish. Anton Watson scored 11 points to pace the Zags in the first, finishing with 18.
- The Bulldogs are 35-6 all-time in Spokane in the series, and has won 15 straight at home versus the Broncos. SCU's last win in Spokane was on Feb. 12, 2007, 84-73.
- Santa Clara won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 67-62, in Santa Clara on Feb. 3, 1959.
 
UP NEXT
- The 97th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Pepperdine. The Zags have a 66-31 advantage in the series.
- GU has won 46 straight versus the Waves, with the last Pepperdine victory in the series coming on Jan. 18, 2002, 88-79, in Malibu.
- It ranks as the third-longest streak versus an opponent in Div. 1 history, and currently the longest active.
- The Bulldogs are 50-2 against the Waves under Few.
- On Jan. 4, Graham Ike scored 20 points, Anton Watson added 15 and No. 24 Gonzaga beat Pepperdine 86-60 inside the Spokane Arena in the CCF Classic. Five Bulldogs scored in double figures including Nolan Hickman, who had 14 points.
- Gonzaga has won 20 in-a-row inside the Firestone Fieldhouse and is 26-17 all-time in the meetings in Malibu.
- The Zags won the latest meeting in Malibu, 97-88, last season on Feb. 18. Watson scored nine points.
- Gonzaga has a 35-12 advantage in the meetings in Spokane, and has won 25 in-a-row against Pepperdine in Spokane. The last time the Waves won at GU was on Feb. 19, 1998, 65-64.
- Gonzaga won the first-ever meeting, 93-70, in the Knights of Columbus Tournament in Portland, on Dec. 11, 1964.
 
FEW CLOSING IN ON 700
- Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few is one win from 700 in his head coaching career.
- He would be the 14th active head coach in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 700 victories.
- Few would rank second in NCAA Div. 1 history behind Kentucky's Adolph Rupp (700-136) as the fastest to 700 wins.
Few's Milestone wins
1st win - 76-61 Montana (11/21/1999)
100th win - 82-71 San Francisco (2/15/2003)
200th win - 77-69 Santa Clara (1/12/2007)
300th win - 73-52 Oklahoma State (12/31/2010)
400th win - 77-75 Santa Clara (3/8/2014)
500th win - 79-73 Northwestern (3/18/2017)
600th win - 102-90 Kansas (11/26/2020)
 
WHERE WE RANK
- Gonzaga is 17th in the country in rebound margin (10.1), and 13th averaging 42.47 rebounds per game.
- GU is 18th in the nation in field goal percentage (49.8) and 29th in field goal percentage defense (39.0).
- The Zags lead the WCC in scoring offense (84.9), which also ranks 18th in the nation. GU is 15th in the country in scoring margin at 16.7, which is second in the conference.
- Ryan Nembhard tops the WCC in assists per game (6.0), which also ranks 21st in the country.
 
BIG NIGHT FOR BEN
- Gonzaga's Ben Gregg had career-highs of 22 points, four steals and two assists in a career-high 25 minutes in the win over San Diego in Spokane.
- Gregg went 8-for-15 from the field, 2-of-6 from three, and made all four of his free-throws.
- The junior is averaging 10.2 points, with five rebounds, over his last five games at 51 percent shooting from the field.
 
DIALING FROM DEEP
- The Zags are off to a hot start from behind-the-perimeter in West Coast Conference play.
- Through their first two league games, the Bulldogs are 18-of-42 from three-point range (42.9 percent).
- Gonzaga's starting backcourt, Nolan Hickman (7-of-13) and Ryan Nembhard (6-of-8) are a combined 13-of-21.
 
GOLDEN GRAHAM
- Graham Ike is currently second in the West Coast Conference shooting 61.4 percent from the field.
- The last five games he is shooting 32-of-48 (66.7 percent), and in the two WCC games he is 16-of-22 (72.7 percent).
- He is fifth in the WCC shooting 61.3 percent (76-of-124) from inside-the-arc. Teammate Ben Gregg leads the league at 66.7 percent (24-of-36) from two-point range.
 
DISHING IT OUT
- Gonzaga totaled 27 assists on 39 made field goals in the win over San Diego. It was the second-most by the Zags this season (28 versus Ark. Pine Bluff) and the third-most in the conference this season.
- It also matched the third-most in McCarthey Athletic Center history and third-most under Mark Few.
- Six Zags finished with multiple assists, led by Ryan Nembhard's nine.
- Through the first two conference games, GU leads the WCC averaging 22.5 assists per outing.