Gonzaga and St. Mary’s have dominated the West Coast Conference for more than two decades, but a new contender has forced its way into title contention this year.
The Bulldogs and Gaels have won at least a share of the past 25 WCC regular-season championships, but Santa Clara sits atop the conference standings this year. The Broncos are one game ahead of Gonzaga and two games up on St. Mary’s.
First place in the conference will be on the line when Santa Clara (22-5, 13-1 WCC) hosts No. 12 Gonzaga Saturday in a rematch of a game the Zags won, 89-77, at home on Jan. 8. The Broncos won their first meeting of the season against St. Mary’s, and they’ll go on the road to face the Gaels again on Feb. 25.
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The last time Santa Clara won the WCC regular-season title was when they shared it with St. Mary’s in 1997.
Santa Clara has won nine straight games since its loss to Gonzaga. The Broncos rank No. 2 in the WCC with 83.6 points a game, a +3.56 turnover margin, and a +1.53 assist-to-turnover ratio. They’re No. 3 in the league with a .474 field goal percentage, and they’re giving up 71.1 points a night, which ranks No. 5 in the conference.
The Broncos are led by 6-foot-4 sophomore Christian Hammond, who ranks No. 5 in the WCC with 16.4 points a game. Six-foot-7 senior Elijah Mahi is adding 13.8 points a night and leads the team with 74 assists, and 6-foot-9 freshman Allen Graves is chipping in with 11.3 points and seven rebounds a game.
Gonzaga (24-2, 12-1 WCC) leads the league with 87.4 points a game, a .513 field goal percentage, 41.2 rebounds a game, a +4.92 turnover margin, and a +1.84 assist to turnover ratio. Six-foot-9 graduate student Graham Ike, who recently returned from injury, leads the WCC with 19.7 points a game. Six-foot-10 junior Braden Huff ranks No. 3 in the league with 17.8, but he was lost to a serious knee injury last month.
Gonzaga at Santa Clara Odds
Gonzaga is a 4.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 159.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -220 for the Bulldogs and +180 for Santa Clara.
Gonzaga is one victory away from the program’s NCAA-record 19th straight 25-win season. The Bulldogs have won 22 of their past 24 games at Santa Clara’s Leavey Center.
Gonzaga at Santa Clara on TV
The West Coast Conference game featuring Gonzaga and Santa Clara will be televised on ESPN.
Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.
Gonzaga at Santa Clara Prediction
I predict Gonzaga wins, 81-76.
Santa Clara is on an impressive winning streak thanks to its stingy defense, the way it limits turnovers, and the Broncos’ willingness to share the ball. Six players on the team have amassed more than 50 assists this season. That kind of selflessness will make them tough to beat, no matter who they play.
But they’re going up against one of the best teams in the country.
Ike is one of the best pure scorers in the country. He has scored at least 20 points in six straight games, and he leads the Bulldogs with three 30-point efforts, all of which have been in the past six games. He put up a season-high 35 points against Oregon State and 34 in Gonzaga’s first game against Santa Clara.
Ike is No. 1 among active Division I players in the nation with 2,338 career points, and he leads the WCC with 12 double-doubles this season.
Colgate transfer Braeden Smith is eight points shy of scoring 1,000 in his career. Together, they’re helping Gonzaga lead the country with 46.5 points in the paint per game. The Bulldogs have made 272 more shots from inside the arc than their opponents, and they rank No. 16 in the country with 41.2 rebounds a game.
The way Gonzaga dominates around the rim, plays lights out on defense, and protects the ball bodes well for its chances at riding off into the sunset with another WCC title and making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Zags are slated to join the Pac-12 later this year.
