MBB Honors Watson on Senior Night - Gonzaga University Athletics (2024)

Zags look to improve to 12-2 in WCC play

Gonzaga (21-6, 11-2 WCC) vs. Santa Clara (18-10, 9-4)
SATURDAY, FEB. 24 | 7 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
TELEVISION: ESPN2
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THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga takes its first West Coast Conference road trip to Santa Clara Thursday at 6:30 p.m. It's the 102nd meeting between the teams. The Zags have a 70-31 advantage in the series all-time.
- GU is 35-6 all-time in Spokane in the series, winning 15 straight at home versus the Broncos dating to 2007.
- The Bulldogs are coming off an 86-65 win at Portland Thursday. Graham Ike scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Gonzaga's fifth straight win. Nolan Hickman scored 19 points with four threes. Anton Watson and Ben Gregg each scored 13 points. Ryan Nembhard had eight points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
- GU clinched its 27th straight 20-win season, which is the second longest active run in the nation. (Kansas 33)
- The Zags are 16-0 this season when scoring 80 points and 15-0 when shooting 50 percent from the field. GU is 18-0 this season when shooting 30 percent from behind-the-perimeter and 17-1 when making six or more threes.
- Gonzaga leads the West Coast Conference in field goal percentage (51.4, 2nd in NCAA Div. 1), scoring margin (17.1, 3rd in NCAA Div. 1), scoring (85.8, 6th NCAA Div. 1), and assists per game (16.33).
- Head Coach Mark Few reached the 700 win plateau in his head coaching career at Pepperdine. Few ranks second in NCAA Div. 1 history behind Kentucky's Adolph Rupp (700-136) as the fastest to 700 wins.
- Few currently boasts the best winning percentage among active head coaches at 83.3 percent, which also is the best in NCAA Div. 1 all-time with a minimum of 10 seasons.
- The Bulldogs have won 168 straight games when leading by 10 or more points at halftime.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS
- Santa Clara won its third straight game Thursday winning at home over Loyola Marymount, 65-55. After trailing by four at halftime, SCU rallied in the second half behind 15 points from Brenton Knapper and Johnny O'Neil. Camaron Tongue added 10 points. O'Neil grabbed nine rebounds.
- Bal averages a team-high 14.6 points and 3.24 assists. Marshall chips in 12.8 points, while O'Neil adds 11 points and a team-best 5.9 rebounds.

SERIES INFO
- This is the 102nd meeting between Gonzaga and Santa Clara. GU owns a 70-31 advantage in the series.
- GU has won 49 of the last 52 against the Broncos.
- The Zags are 46-5 against SCU under Mark Few.
- The Bulldogs are 35-6 all-time in Spokane in the series, and has won 15 straight at home versus the Broncos. Santa Clara's last win in Spokane was on
Feb. 12, 2007, 84-73.
- In the meeting earlier this season in Santa Clara, the Broncos upset No. 23 Gonzaga, 77-76. Adama-Alpha Bal scored the go-ahead basket with 4.6 seconds remaining. Bal had 17 points and six assists as the Broncos beat the Bulldogs for the first time since Jan. 20, 2011, snapping a 26-game losing streak. Anton Watson matched a career-high with 32 points to lead Gonzaga. He added nine rebounds and six steals in the loss. Ryan Nembhard scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, and Braden Huff added 14 points.
- In the last season's meeting in Spokane, No. 12 Gonzaga defeated Santa Clara 88-70. The Bulldogs outscored the Broncos 28-4 in the paint and held an eight-rebound advantage in the first half. A 13-1 run midway through the first gave GU a 16-point lead it wouldn't relinquish. Anton Watson scored 11 points in the first half, finishing with 18.
- Gonzaga is 26-24 all-time at Santa Clara, but have won 22 of their last 24 at SCU.
- Santa Clara won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 67-62, in Santa Clara on Feb. 3, 1959.

UP NEXT
- The 95th all-time meeting between GU and San Francisco. GU has a 72-22 advantage in the series.
- GU is 51-4 against San Francisco under Mark Few.
- The Zags have won 28 straight versus the Dons. USF's last win in the series came on Feb. 18, 2012, 66-65, at USF.
- GU is 26-18 all-time at San Francisco. The Bulldogs have won the last 11 matchups at USF.
- In the matchup earlier this season in Spokane, Gonzaga held off the Dons, 77-72, on Jan. 25. Graham Ike had 22 points, while Anton Watson added 15 points and had seven rebounds and three steals. Ryan Nembhard finished with 13 points and six assists. USF led 31-30 at halftime, but the Zags would take a 13-point lead with 2:44 left in regulation.
- In the last matchup at San Francisco, No.9 GU rallied late for a 77-75 win. Rasir Bolton scored 11 of his 21 points in the final 5:15 to lead Gonzaga back, making three key 3-pointers before his game-winner. Anton Watson and Nolan Hickman added 14 and eight points.
- Gonzaga has won 35 in-a-row in Spokane in the series, including all 20 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs are 40-2 against USF in Spokane all-time. The Dons last won in Spokane in 1989, 67-64.
- San Francisco edged GU, 64-62, in the first-ever meeting at USF on Jan. 28, 1961.

MILESTONE WATCH
- Anton Watson is two points from passing John Stockton (1,340) for 26th on the program's all-time scoring list.
- Watson has played 143 games at GU, which is tied for fifth in program history with Kyle Dranginis and Silas Melson. Josh Perkins owns the record at 153.
- Watson is 126-17 (88.0) in his career appearances, his 126 wins are tied for third all-time at GU with Corey Kispert and Silas Melson. Przemek Karnowski owns the record at 137.
- Nolan Hickman is four games played from 100.
- Ben Gregg is two games played from 100.

WHERE WE RANK
- GU is second in the nation in field goal percentage (51.4) and 16th in field goal percentage defense (40.0).
- The Zags lead the WCC in scoring offense (85.8), which also ranks sixth in the nation. GU is third in the country in scoring margin at 17.1, which tops the conference.
- Gonzaga is eighth in the country in rebound margin (9.3), and 16th averaging 40.4 rebounds per game.
- Ryan Nembhard tops the WCC in assists per game (6.3), which also ranks 14th in the country. He also leads the WCC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.93).

COMPUTER LOVE
- The Zags are receiving stellar rankings from the metrics.
Opta Analyst: 16 ESPN BPI: 19
Evan Miyakawa: 16 KenPom: 19
Massey: 16 Bart Torvik: 20
Haslametrics: 19 NET: 22

20/27 VISION
- Gonzaga clinched its 27th straight 20-win season.
- The Zags' 27-straight 20-win seasons rank second for the longest active run in the country. (Kansas 33)
- Prior to the previous 26 seasons, the Bulldogs reached 20 wins in a season eight times since 1907-08.
- Gonzaga has won at least 25 games in each of the last 16 consecutive seasons.

QUITE THE FEAT
- Ryan Nembhard is averaging 8.6 assists per game over the last five outings to 1.6 turnovers.
- He tops the conference at 6.69 assists per league game, and with a 4.83 assist to turnover ratio.
- The Canadian notched double-doubles in both of Gonzaga's double-digit wins last week, posting 16 points and 11 assists against Loyola Marymount, and 18 points and 10 assists against Pacific.
- The junior 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).

HICKMAN HOT OVER LAST FIVE
- Over the last five games, Nolan Hickman is averaging 17.2 points per outing, which is second on the team.
- He is making 52.7 percent of his shots from the field over that stretch, including 51.5 percent from three (17-of-33).
- The junior is also a perfect 11-for-11 from the line.

GOLDEN GRAHAM
- Graham Ike led Gonzaga with 20 points in the win at Portland, his fourth straight 20-point outing.
- In the home win over Pacific he made all nine of his shots from the field. It was the most makes without a miss by a Zag since Rui Hachimura went 9-for-9 against Denver on Dec. 21, 2018.
- Ike has scored 20 or more points in eight of the last 11 games and has a team-high ten 20-point games.
- He is averaging 16.8 points per conference game, which ranks fourth in the West Coast Conference.
- The junior is shooting 63.8 percent from the field in WCC games, which ranks second in the conference.