Gonzaga has a chance to avenge an earlier loss to Saint Mary’s on Saturday. They just have to get past a much-improved Pacific basketball team.
TV schedule: Thursday, February 8, 10:00 p.m. ET. ESPN3
Arena: Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton, California
Gonzaga 21-4 (11-1) is going through the toughest stretch of the WCC season, playing each of the top teams in the league. That included a the most recent win, a 68-60 win over BYU. Rui Hachimura led the Zags with 15 points off the bench on 6/9 shooting. Johnathan Williams had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Josh Perkins had 14 points and seven assists.
Gonzaga has won 11 of the team’s last 12 games, with the only loss coming at home to Saint Mary’s who has yet to lose in conference play. They’ll have the chance to tie them on top of the standings, with a game in Moraga on Saturday. That makes this game coming up the typical trap game. Thing is, Mark Few’s teams don’t lose “trap games” having yet to lose to a team not named Saint Mary’s or BYU in over three years.
But something might be different this time around, with Pacific 12-13 (7-5) having their best season in the WCC to date. They’ve already surpassed their highest number of WCC wins with seven, and just recently recorded their first back-to-back road wins since leaving the Big West. The most recent win came at Pepperdine, with Miles Reynolds leading the team with 22 points. Jahlil Tripp nearly had a triple-double, while Lafayette Dorsey came off the bench with 16 points.
These two teams played in each with the conference opener, with Gonzaga winning 81-48. No Tiger was in double figures, while the Zags had four who did so.
Next: Why Pacific is having their best WCC season yet
Pacific has played much better since, including beating BYU and taking the Gaels to the wire at home. With the game being in the unique Stockton gym, the Tigers will keep this one close, but the depth of the Zags allows them to pull away once again.
Prediction: Gonzaga 74 – Pacific 66