Two teams looking to bounce back from tough losses in West Coast Conference play meet at the McCarthey Athletic Center Saturday night when the Gonzaga Bulldogs (14-5, 5-1 WCC) take on the Santa Clara Broncos (12-7, 4-2 WCC).
The Zags enter the matchup coming off a 97-89 overtime loss to Oregon State on Thursday. Graham Ike scored a team-high 26 points -- including a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game with 4 seconds left in regulation -- though the Beavers executed on the offensive end of the floor when it mattered most.
Gonzaga managed to move out in front 76-71 with 5:54 left in the second half, but from there it was all Oregon State. The Beavers went 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field after halftime and outscored the Bulldogs, 27-11, over the final 6 minutes of regulation plus overtime. It was Gonzaga's second straight game allowing an opponent to shoot 50% or better from the field, as Oregon State went 58.5% from the field.
"We played really, really good offense. We just could not get consistent stops for longer stretches," Gonzaga head coach Mark Few
The Zags' rare loss in league play wasn't the most stunning upset of Thursday night, however. Down in Los Angeles, the Broncos were floored by a 57-54 loss to Loyola Marymount. The Lions entered the game with just one league win.
Christoph Tilly led the way for Santa Clara with 25 points on 10-of-15 from the field. However, his teammates combined to go 11-of-43 from the floor in what turned out to be one of the Broncos' worst offensive performances of the season. That sets up quite the matchup at the Kennel on Saturday: On one side, the Zags look to reestablish their edge on the defensive end of the floor after allowing a season-high 97 points to the Beavers, while the Broncos are eager to get back in a groove offensively. Santa Clara averages 9.6 3-pointers per game but was just 4-of-26 from deep against LMU.
Expect another physical battle when these two WCC contenders go toe-to-toe for the first time this season in Spokane.
TV: ESPN+ (out of region), KHQ/SWX (regional)*, FOX13+ (Seattle), FOX12+ (Portland)
Betting: Gonzaga -14.5 (-120)
*Spokane, Yakima, Tri-Cities, Eastern Washington, Coeur d'Alene and North Idaho, Missoula, Great Falls, Butte, Bozeman and Helena may experience blackouts on KHQ/SWX broadcasts. Fans in these areas can watch at swxlocalsports.com.