Gonzaga Hosts San Francisco in WCC Showdown

SPOKANE, Wash. (Interstat) — The Gonzaga Bulldogs, boasting one of the nation’s premier records, look to continue their dominant run when they host the San Francisco Dons in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at McCarthey Athletic Center.

Gonzaga (20-1, 5-0 WCC) has won 10 consecutive games since its lone loss in mid-December. The Bulldogs are coming off an 84-60 rout of Pepperdine on Wednesday, where freshman guard Davis Fogle led the way with 17 points and four assists in 25 minutes. Fogle has provided a scoring spark off the bench, averaging 15.5 points over his last two contests.

San Francisco (13-8, 4-2) arrives with momentum after an 85-80 home victory over Washington State last Sunday. The Dons’ success hinges heavily on sophomore guard Ryan Beasley, who is averaging 16.4 points and 5.1 assists per game in conference play. Beasley scored 32 points in a double-overtime loss to Loyola Marymount on Jan. 8 and dished out seven assists against Saint Mary’s on Jan. 13.

The Dons have shown resilience but face a steep challenge. Gonzaga has won 17 straight home games against San Francisco, with the Dons’ last victory in Spokane coming in 1989. The Bulldogs’ offense, averaging 83.2 points per game, will test a San Francisco defense that has allowed 80 or more points in three of its last five outings.

For San Francisco to pull an upset, it will need another high-level performance from Beasley and secondary scoring from players like Guillermo Diaz Graham (14 points vs. WSU) and Junjie Wang (15 points vs. WSU). Containing Gonzaga’s balanced attack, which features five players averaging double figures, will be the primary defensive task.

This matchup is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams. They will play again in San Francisco on Feb. 18.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, Jan. 24.