#12/10 Gonzaga (6-0) vs. Maryland (5-1)
TUESDAY, NOV. 25 | 6:30 P.M. PT | LAS VEGAS | MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA
TELEVISION: TruTV/HBO MAX
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THE OPENING TIP
- Gonzaga faces Maryland in the second game of the Players Era Championship in the MGM Grand Garden Arena Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Gonzaga leads the all-time series 3-1.
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 95-85 win over No. 12/10 Alabama in the opening game of the Players Era Championship Monday. Tyon Grant-Foster and Graham Ike each scored 21 points to lead GU. Ike also had 11 rebounds. Braden Huff scored 18 points, one of five Zags in double figures. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Tide 48-36, including 20-13 on the offensive end. That led to a 25-10 advantage in second-chance points.
- Following the Southern Utah win, GU jumped to No. 1 in KenPom's rankings briefly, and now sits at No. 3, with its defense sixth in the nation and offense sixth. One of three programs with both being in the Top 10.
- The Zags currently lead the West Coast Conference in scoring offense (94.2, 16th in NCAA), three-point field goal percentage defense (25.0, 14th in NCAA), rebounds (46.7, 6th in NCAA), defensive rebounds per game (32.8, 10th in NCAA), turnover margin (5.8, 20th in NCAA), and turnovers per game (10.2).
- Graham Ike eclipsed the 2,000-point mark in his career in the win over Creighton. He needed nine points to reach the mark and finished with 20. He sits at 2,065. Ike ranks second among active scorers in NCAA Div. 1, Indiana's Tucker DeVries is first at 2,082. Ike's 952 rebounds also ranks second among active players. He is the only active player with 1,500 points and 900 rebounds in a career. Ike was named preseason All-American by CBS Sports and ESPN, and to the NABC, Wooden, and Naismith Player of the Year watch lists.
- GU opens the season 6-0 for the first time since 2021-22. Its last 7-0 start was in 2020-21 when the team entered the national championship game at 31-0. The Zags have opened 6-0 five times in the last 10 years.
 
SCOUTING THE TERRAPINS
- Maryland opened the Players Era Championship with a 74-67 win over UNLV Monday. The Terrapins held UNLV to 36 percent shooting from the field, and turned 16 offensive rebounds into an 18-5 advantage in second chance points. Maryland outrebounded UNLV 46-34.
- Pharrel Payne led Maryland with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while pulling down eight rebounds. Darius Adams added 15 points, and David Coit had 11.
- Five Terrapins average double-digit scoring led by Payne's 18.6 points per game. Coit adds 17.2 points. Payne grabs a team-high 6.6 rebounds per outing.
- The Terrapins were picked 13th out of 18 in the Big Ten Preseason Media Poll.
- Maryland features a nearly brand new squad from the 2024-25 Sweet Sixteen team. Of the 16 players on the roster, 15 are new including five true freshmen. Lukas Sotell is the lone returner on the 2025-26 roster.
- Maryland's roster does feature a mix of high-level players with significant experience. Pharrel Payne and Myles Rice have been consistent starters throughout their career and bring experience in the Big Ten. Elijah Saunders was part of the San Diego State team that reached a national championship game in 2022-23.
 
SERIES INFO
- Gonzaga and Maryland faceoff for the first time in 17 years. The teams last met in 2008.
- On Nov. 28, 2008, Gonzaga picked up an 81–59 win in the semifinals at the 2008 Old Spice Classic in Orlando.
- After falling in the first-ever meeting, the Zags have won the last three matchups.
- The first meeting came in the 1995 NCAA Tournament, when the Terrapins defeated GU 87–63 in Salt Lake City.
- The Bulldogs beat Maryland in 2003, 82-68, in Washington D.C.
- Gonzaga then added an 88–76 victory in the opening round of the 2005 Maui Invitational.
 
UP NEXT
- Gonzaga's final opponent in the Players Era Championship Wednesday is dependent on outcomes during the second day of the tournament.
- The Bulldogs will learn their Day 3 opponent following the finish of the Alabama and UNLV 9 p.m. game.
- After two days of play, third opponents will be determined by the following tiebreaker format:
Overall record
Head-to-Head
Total point differential (each game capped at +/- 20)
Total points scored
Fewest points allowed
AP Ranking on Monday, 11/24
 
ABOUT PLAYERS ERA CHAMPIONSHIP
- The 2025 Players Era Championship in Las Vegas is the second edition of the event.
- GU is one of 18 teams in the elite field this year, with the tournament hoping to expand to 32 in 2026.
- Nine games on Monday and Tuesday will be played between MGM Grand Garden and Michelob Ultra Arena.
- The 18-team Players Era Championship features 13 programs ranked or receiving votes in the preseason AP Poll: No. 2 Houston, No. 5 St. John's, No. 7 Michigan, No. 15 Alabama, No. 16 Iowa State, No. 18 Tennessee, No. 19 Kansas, No. 20 Auburn, No. 21 Gonzaga, No. 23 Creighton, Oregon (98 votes), San Diego State (74 votes), and Baylor (one vote).
 
GIVING THANKS FOR THESE EVENTS
- Gonzaga is 49-14 under Mark Few in events during the
week of Thanksgiving, and 38-8 in the last 10 Thanksgiving week events.
- Under Mark Few, GU has won seven tournaments
during the week of Thanksgiving, and played in 11 of
the 18 tournament championship games.
- Last season at the Battle 4 Atlantis in The Bahamas, the Zags were upset in overtime by West Virginia, before easing to wins over Indiana and Davidson.