No. 18/18 Gonzaga (13-4, 4-0 WCC) vs. Washington State (13-4, 3-1 WCC)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 | 6 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
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THE OPENING TIP
- No. 18/18 Gonzaga and Washington State meet for the 151st time, but the first since 2015, in a West Coast Conference game Saturday at 6 p.m., inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- Gonzaga is coming off a 93-80 home win over San Diego Wednesday. Ben Gregg scored 23 points and Khalif Battle added 20. Graham Ike had a career-high 19 rebounds, which is a new McCarthey Athletic Center record, to go with 15 points. Ryan Nembhard added 11 points and as many assists.
- The Bulldogs are 4-0 in WCC play for the 11th time out of the last 12 seasons. With the exception of last season's 2-1 start to league play, GU has opened 4-0 in WCC play in each season since 2013-14, and 5-0 since 2014-15.
- Gonzaga's 11 straight true road wins are tied for the longest active streak in the nation. (Saint Mary's - 11)
- Ryan Nembhard's 164 assists are first in the nation. The senior has 40 turnovers. Nembhard's 9.6 assists per game also lead the country. His 4.10 assist-to-turnover ratio is fifth.
- Gonzaga is seventh in the nation averaging 87.8 points per game, which would rank third in GU history. (2020-21: 91.0)
- Five Zags are currently averaging double-digit scoring, with a sixth at 9.5 points per game.
- As a team, GU is fifth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.88). The Zags are seventh averaging 18.8 assists per game.
- The Bulldogs are eighth in the country shooting 80.9 percent from the free throw line. GU averages 16.4 made free throws per game, which leads the West Coast Conference.
- Khalif Battle is 14th in the nation from the line at 91.5 percent. He made 50 straight free throws before missing which ranks second in program history (Derek Raivio, 56)
- Gonzaga is 12th in the country in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 28 percent from behind-the-arc. Only two Zag opponents have shot at least 33% from 3-point range, and only four have made 10 or more threes in a game versus GU.
- Braden Huff (57.4 percent) and Graham Ike (57.2 percent) are first and second in the WCC in field goal percentage.
 
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
- Washington State had its four-game win streak snapped at home in a 95-94 overtime loss to Pacific Thursday. WSU entered the game winners of seven of the previous eight, and unbeaten in conference play.
- Against Pacific, WSU rallied from a double-digit deficit to force overtime. Five Cougars finished in double-figure scoring led by Ethan Price's 28 points, with six threes, and eight rebounds. LeJuan Watts added 16 points, and Nate Calmese had 14 points and five assists.
- Washington State lost its leading scorer, Cedric Coward (17.7 ppg), after six games to a season-ending injury. Five other Cougars are averaging double-digit scoring led by Calmese at 16.2 points, and 4.4 assists, per game. LeJuan Watts adds 13.8 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds.
 
SERIES INFO
- This is the 151st all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Washington State. The Cougars have an 98-52 all-time lead.
- The teams separated by 77 miles have not met since Dec. 2, 2015, when the Bulldogs pulled out a 69-60 win in Pullman. Kyle Wiltjer scored 20 of his 22 points in the first 10 minutes of the game for No. 13 Gonzaga. Josh Perkins added 16 points, and Silas Melson had 12. Domantas Sabonis had nine points and 14 rebounds.
- GU has won seven of the last eight meetings, including each of the last five.
- WSU has a 54-36 advantage in the meetings in Spokane, including games at the Spokane Arena.
- Gonzaga is 29-33 against the Cougars in games on the GU campus all-time, but the Zags have won four of the five matchups in the McCarthey Athletic Center, including the last 90-74 in 2013.
- The Zags are 12-3 against WSU under Few.
- Washington State has a 45-20 advantage in the series at home in Pullman.
- The Cougars last win in the series came in Pullman on Dec. 8, 2010, 81-59. Klay Thompson scored 24 points and had six assists for WSU, and the Cougars made 11-of-21 from three-point range. Sam Dower led GU with 11 points, while Rob Sacre grabbed 10 rebounds.
- Gonzaga won the first-ever meeting with Washington State, 21-18, in Spokane on Dec. 16, 1907.
 
UP NEXT
- The 28th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Oregon State. The Beavers own a 25-2 advantage in the series.
- The Pacific Northwest programs separated by 437 miles have not met since a 74-65 OSU victory in Corvallis on
Jan. 7, 1991.
- The schools first met on Feb. 20, 1911, a 13-11 Bulldog win in Spokane.
- Oregon State has won the last 12 matchups, dating back to a 27-24 GU victory in 1932.
- The Beavers have won eight of the nine all-time meetings in Spokane, and all 13 in Corvallis.
 
GOLDEN GRAHAM
- Graham Ike pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds in the victory over San Diego on Jan. 8.
- The 19 rebounds were a new McCarthey Athletic Center record, topping Drew Timme's 17 against Kent State in 2022.
- The 19 rebounds were the third-most under Mark Few, and the most since Domantas Sabonis's 20 at Pacific in 2016. Josh Heytvelt had 22 at Pepperdine in 2007.
- Ike's 19 rebounds were the second-most by a player in the West Coast Conference this season. San Diego's Sam Trouet had 20 against UC-San Diego on Dec. 21.
- It matched the third-most by a WCC player since 2020-21, and sixth-most in the past 10 seasons.
- Ike's 13 made free-throws was one shy of tying the McCarthey Athletic Center record for most makes in a single game. He finished 13-of-15 from the line versus USD.
 
20/20 VISION
- Gonzaga has had multiple 20-point scorers in each of the last two games.
- In the win over San Diego, Ben Gregg was one point from matching his career-high with 23 points, while Khalif Battle added 20 points.
- Battle scored a season-high 26 in the win at Loyola Marymount, and Graham Ike had 27 points.