Gonzaga (16-7, 7-3 WCC) vs. Loyola Marymount (14-8, 6-4 WCC)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 | 6 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
TELEVISION: KHQ/ESPN+
Seattle TV – FOX13+
LIVE VIDEO (Outside of KHQ Region/Not blacked out in Montana) | LIVE VIDEO (In KHQ/SWX Region) | LIVE RADIO | LIVE STATS
 
THE OPENING TIP
- Gonzaga returns home to host Loyola Marymount in the McCarthey Athletic Center Thursday at 6 p.m.
- The Zags are coming off a 62-58 loss at Saint Mary's Saturday. Graham Ike led the way for GU with 24 points and eight rebounds. Ryan Nembhard, the nation's leader in assists, finished with 12 against SMC. He added 11 points and three steals. The Gaels led by 14 in the first half, before the Bulldogs rallied to take a four-point lead in the second half, before being held off late.
- Ryan Nembhard's 229 assists are first in the nation, to only 52 turnovers. Nembhard's 10.0 assists per game also tops the country. His 4.40 assist-to-turnover ratio is second.
- As a team, Gonzaga is first in the nation in assists per game at 19.7 and assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.00.
- The Zags and No. 1 Auburn are the only two programs in the nation with six players, that have appeared in at least 10 games, averaging double-digit scoring.
- GU is second in the country averaging 88.2 points per game, fourth in field goal percentage (50.0), and seventh in free-throw percentage (79.5). GU averages 15.9 made free throws per game, which leads the West Coast Conference.
- Khalif Battle is eighth from the free-throw line at 92.3 percent (1st in WCC). Graham Ike (59.7 percent) and Braden Huff (55.4 percent) are first and second in the WCC in field goal percentage. Nolan Hickman tops the league shooting 48.3 percent (28-of-58) from three-point range in conference play.
- Graham Ike is third in the West Coast Conference averaging 19.5 points per league game, while shooting 61.5 percent from the field, which tops the conference. He is fifth grabbing 7.9 rebounds per conference game.
- Ben Gregg tops the WCC at 64.9 percent (48-of-74) from the field during conference play. He also leads the league shooting 71.3 percent (72/101) from inside-the-arc in all games.
- Ryan Nembhard was named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 10 Watch List. Graham Ike And Nembhard Named to Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watchlist.
- Mark Few was recently named a first-time nominee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
- For the first time since 1991, Loyola Marymount has won five consecutive West Coast Conference games. After starting league play at 1-4, LMU picked up its fifth straight win at San Diego Saturday, 78-62. The Lions rallied from an 11-point deficit behind a defense that held USD to 27.5 percent shooting from the field. The Toreros were 2-of-18 from three-point range. Four Lions finished in double-digit scoring led by Myron Amey Jr.'s 16 points. He made four threes off the bench. Jevon Porter had a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds. Alex Merkviladze and Caleb Stone-Carrawell added 14 and 11 points.
- For the second time this season, Jevon Porter was named WCC Player of the Week. He recorded back-to-back double-double games, his sixth and seventh of the year. Porter averaged 13.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block in the two wins, playing 30.0 minutes a game to lead the Lions to double-digit victories.
- Porter is second in the WCC averaging 8.2 boards per game, and at 1.4 blocks. He's scoring 13 points per outing.
- Caleb Stone-Carrawell scores a team-high 13.5 points. Alex Merkviladze and Will Johnston add 11 and 10.9 points.
- Johnston dishes out a team-best 3.1 assists per game.
 
SERIES INFO
- This is the 104th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Loyola Marymount.
- Gonzaga has an 82-22 advantage in the series.
- GU has won 33 of the last 35 meetings.
- The Bulldogs are 50-4 against LMU under Mark Few.
- In the first meeting this season in L.A., Graham Ike scored 27 points, Khalif Battle added 26 and Gonzaga rolled to a 96-68 victory. Michael Ajayi came off the bench with 15 points.
- Gonzaga is 41-7 at home against the Lions.
- In last season's game in Spokane, Nolan Hickman scored a career-high 24 points and GU cruised to a 92-58 victory. Hickman sank 10 of 14 shots with four 3-pointers, adding five assists for the Bulldogs. Graham Ike scored 20 on 8-for-9 shooting. Ben Gregg finished with 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Braden Huff had 10 points and five boards off the bench.
- The Zags won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 75-71, in Spokane in 1953.
 
UP NEXT
- The 24th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Pacific in the Alex Spanos Center in Stockton Saturday at 5 p.m.
- The Zags have won 23 of the previous 24 matchups in the series, including the last 21 straight.
- The Bulldogs are 21-0 against Pacific under Mark Few.
- The Tigers lone victory in the series came in Stockton in 1976, 70-60.
- In the latest meeting, Gonzaga cruised to a 102-76 win in Spokane last season on Feb. 17. Five Bulldogs finished in double-digit scoring, and GU made a season-high 66.1 percent (37-56) of its shots from the field. In the Zags' 20th win of the season, Graham Ike had 21 points, making all nine of his shots from the field. Ryan Nembhard recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Braden Huff had 14 of his 17 points in the second half. Nolan Hickman hit four three-pointers and finished with 16 points.
- Gonzaga has won 10 of the 11 meetings in Stockton, including the last nine.
- The Bulldogs won last season's meeting in Stockton, 82-73, on Jan. 27. All five Gonzaga starters finished in double-digit scoring led by Graham Ike's 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Nolan Hickman scored 19 points, with three three-pointers.
- Gonzaga has won all 13 meetings in Spokane, including all 12 inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Zags edged Pacific, 85-83, in the first-ever meeting in Stockton on Feb. 5, 1959.
 
BULLDOG BALANCE
- Gonzaga and No. 1 Auburn are the only two programs in the nation with six players, that have appeared in at least 10 games, averaging double-digit scoring.
- Five different Zags have been the high-scorer in a game this season, while four have led in rebounds.
- The Bulldogs have had six players in double-figures three times this season, five players in double-digits eight times, four players eight times, and three players five times.
- Six Zags have scored 20 points in a game this season, and eight have multiple 20-point games in their careers.
 
SPEAKING OFFENSIVELY
- GU is first in the nation in assists per game at 19.7 and assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.00.
- The Bulldogs are averaging 20.40 assists in conference play, which leads the league by three assists per game.
- Gonzaga is averaging 22.8 assists over its last five games.
- The Zags are second in the country averaging 88.2 points per game and fourth in field goal percentage (50.0).
- Gonzaga is averaging 89.6 points in its WCC games. It would be the most points averaged in conference play since Loyola Marymount scored 97.8 points per game in 1991.
- GU is second in the country in points per possession at 1.193, and first making 32.1 field goals per game.
- The Zags are second in the country getting 48.1 percent of points from two-pointers, after being top five in the nation in the category the last three seasons.
- Gonzaga is second in the nation averaging 42.8 points per first half and fifth in second half scoring 44.4.
 
THE POINT GOD
- Ryan Nembhard's 10.0 assists per game tops the nation.
- Only five players have finished a season averaging double-digit assists per game over the last 30 years ...
1. Yuri Collins (St. Louis, 2022-23): 10.1 apg
2. Nelson Haggerty (Baylor, 1994-95): 10.1 apg
3. Ja Morant (Murray State, 2018-19): 10.0 apg
4. Chris De La Rosa (UMBC, 2011-12): 10.0 apg
5. Jason Brickman (LIU Brooklyn, 2013-14): 10.0 apg
- Nembhard, the nation's leader in assists became the first player in the country to eclipse the 200-assist mark this season, now at 229, the third-most in a single season in program history. He was the first player to 100 assists and the fastest to 100 assists in a season in program history.
- Nembhard is the first player in program history to have multiple 200 assist seasons.
- Nembhard is 14 assists shy of matching his own single season program record set last season with 243. He is six assists from having the second-most assists in a season at 235, passing Josh Perkins' 234 in 2018-19.
- Nembhard's 4.40 assist-to-turnover ratio is second in the country. (CJ Fulton, Charleston 4.59)
- He is currently second in the West Coast Conference at 34:54 minutes per game.
- He set a new Canadian record for career assists by a NCAA Div. 1 player.
Current All-Time Canadian D1 Assists Leaders:
1. Ryan Nembhard (Creighton/Gonzaga) 767
2. Marcus Carr (Pittsburgh/Minnesota/Texas) 747
3. Andrew Nembhard (Florida/Gonzaga) 691
- No Canadian player in Div. 1 has averaged more than seven assists per game.
- Nembhard currently leads the WCC averaging 9.9 assists per league game. The conference record is 9.2 set by Orlando Smart of San Francisco in 1991.
- The senior is third in the country among active leaders in career assists with 767. Dajuan Harris Jr. of Kansas leads at 794. Nembhard's 6.29 assist career average is fourth among active leaders, and his 2.60 assist to turnover is sixth.
- The program career record is 712 set by Josh Perkins, Nembhard's two-year Gonzaga total of 471 assists ranks seventh in GU's all-time Top 10.
- Nembhard has 14 double-digit assist outings, the most in the country, out of the 23 games this season, with 10 double-doubles.
- Last season, Nembhard became the first Bulldog to have back-to-back double-digit assist games since Derek Raivio had 11 assists versus Portland State and 13 assists against Montana to open the 2004-05 season.
- Nembhard was the first Zag to get back-to-back double-doubles with assists since Dan Dickau on Jan. 12 and 13, 2001 (13 pts, 10 asts at USF and 15 pts, 12 asts at SMC).
- Nembhard finished with a career-high and single game tournament record 14 assists against Davidson in the Battle 4 Atlantis. He totaled 39 assists in the three-game event, setting a new tournament record, to just eight turnovers.
 
GOLDEN GRAHAM
- Graham Ike was named Midseason third team All-American by the Sporting News.
- The Colorado native is third in the nation in player efficiency rating (PER)
1. Oscar Cluff, South Dakota State: 36.4
2. Johni Broome, Auburn: 35.3
3. Graham Ike, Gonzaga: 33.4
- He leads the WCC in field goal percentage (59.7).
- The senior is third in the West Coast Conference in scoring in league games (19.5), fifth in rebounds (7.9), and first in field goal percentage (61.5).
- He has six 20-point games over the last eight games, 11 this season, and 42 in his career.
- 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 13 made free-throws was one shy of tying the McCarthey Athletic Center record for most makes in a game. He finished 13-of-15 from the line versus USD.
 
TREND SETTING
- After slow starts in the last three games, Gonzaga's defense picked up midway through the first half.
- At Portland, the Pilots were 9-of-17 from the field (52.9 percent) to start the game, but was then 11-for-41 (26.8 percent) the rest of the game.
- In the win over Oregon State, the Beavers started the game 8-for-15 from the field (53.3 percent), before finishing 13-of-40 (32.5 percent).
- Against Saint Mary's, the Gaels made nine of their first 10 shots from the field (90 percent). They finished the game 12-of-45 (26.7 percent).
- The Zags have opened the second half shooting 58.7 percent (27/46) from the field in the first 10 minutes of play. GU is 56 percent (51/91) from the field from the 10-minute mark of the first half to the 10-minute mark of the second half over the last three games.