A pair of squads from the WCC tangle on the hardwood when a pair of teams from the Evergreen State collide. The Washington State Cougars are on the road as they make the short trip to face the #18 Gonzaga Bulldogs Saturday night. Washington State was edged 95-94 at home by Pacific in overtime Thursday night in their previous contest, losing outright as a 15.5-point favorite. Gonzaga dropped San Diego 93-80 at home in their previous game Wednesday night, failing to cover the line as a 31.5-point favorite. In the all-time series between the teams, the Cougars own a 98-51 advantage but the Bulldogs have won the last four meetings. That includes a 69-60 road win in the most recent matchup December 2, 2015.
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Who will win this matchup? Read more about this Washington State vs. Gonzaga prediction!
Washington State Try to Shrug Off Tough Home Defeat
Washington State was a hefty favorite at home against Pacific but ended up falling on a last-second shot in overtime their last time out. The Cougars fell to 13-4 overall on the season and are 3-1 in the WCC on the season as they take the floor here. Against Pacific, Washington State underperformed, trailing by six early in the game, by as many as 12 in the first half and by 10 at intermission. The Cougars trailed by 10 multiple times in the second half but rallied to tie the game to force overtime. During the extra session, Washington State trailed by two early before reeling off a 7-0 run to take a 93-88 lead with 1:04 to play. Unfortunately, the Cougars were outscored 7-1 the rest of the way, giving up the winning three-pointer with one second remaining. Washington State shot 45.2% from the floor, including 11 of 26 from three-point range, but allowed Pacific to shoot 55.2% in the game. Ethan Price led the Cougars with 28 points and eight rebounds in the win.
On the year, the Cougars are putting up an average of 82.3 points per game on the year, putting them 44th in the nation in scoring offense. Washington State collects 37.4 rebounds per game (113th) while dishing out 17.2 assists a night this season. The Cougars are giving up an average of 75.2 points a game for the year, putting them 282nd in scoring defense this season. Nate Calmese is one of six players averaging in double figures for the team with 16.2 points plus 4.4 assists per contest on the year. Cedric Coward (17.7 points, seven rebounds) and Dane Erikstrup (12.6 points) are reliable secondary scoring options. Ethan Price (12.9 points, six rebounds), LeJuan Watts (13.8 points, 8.3 rebounds), Isaiah Watts (12.5 points), ND Okafor, Marcus Wilson, Tomas Thrastarson and Parker Gerrits are guys that have to be efficient offensively in order to help the Cougars sustain their success. Washington State shoots 49.2% from the field on the year, putting them 23rd in the nation. The Cougars are draining 9.2 three-pointers a night while shooting 36.6% from beyond the arc on the year. Washington State is average at the charity stripe as they convert 71.8% of their attempts at the line, putting them 180th in the nation.
Coward (shoulder) last played November 26 and underwent surgery. His timetable to return is yet to be determined. Rihards Vavers (hands) is expected to be done for the year. Wilson (shoulder) last played November 15 and has no timetable to return. Isaiah Watts (undisclosed) last played December 18 and is out indefinitely.
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Bulldogs Looking for Fifth Straight Win
Gonzaga downed San Diego in their previous contest to run their win streak to four games their last time out. The Bulldogs improved to 13-4 overall and stand 4-0 in the WCC on the year heading into this contest. Against San Diego, Gonzaga trailed by one eight minutes into the game before going on an 11-2 run to take a 25-17 lead with 7:50 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs were up 13 at the half and led by as many as 22 in the second half before going scoreless for the final 2:16, allowing the Toreros to narrow the margin. Gonzaga shot 45.2% from the field, including 10 of 31 from three-point range, and dominated the boards 48-31 in the contest. Ben Gregg led the Bulldogs with 23 points in the win.
The Bulldogs have been lighting up scoreboards this season, piling up an average of 87.8 points per game, which is 7th in the nation. Gonzaga collects 40.8 rebounds per contest (24th) and dishes out 18.8 assists per night on the year. The Bulldogs are 124th in scoring defense by allowing 69.3 points a night. Braden Huff is fourth on the Bulldogs in scoring as he puts up 11.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season. Graham Ike (16.3 points, 7.6 rebounds), Khalif Battle (13.6 points, four rebounds), Ben Gregg (10.1 points, 5.4 boards) and Ryan Nembhard (11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 9.6 assists) are all good scoring options. Dusty Stromer, Michael Ajayi and Emmanuel Innocenti are solid contributors for coach Mark Few. Gonzaga is shooting 49.2% from the field as a team this season, which is 24th in the country. The Bulldogs are averaging 7.8 three-pointers a night on 34.5% shooting from beyond the arc. Gonzaga is stellar at the charity stripe as they convert 80.9% of their chances this season, putting them eighth in the nation.
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Best Bets for Washington State vs. Gonzaga
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
We know that both teams can pile up points as each squad is in the top 50 in the nation in scoring offense. The Cougars have problems with injury issues as Coward and Watts are a pair of key blows to the rotation, taking a pair of guys averaging a combined 30 points a night. Gonzaga doesn’t have a deep rotation either but they have plenty of experience to lean on in that group. The Bulldogs do plenty of damage at the charity stripe and they are better defensively than the Cougars. Gonzaga is a perfect 8-0 in Spokane with only one game decided by single digits. That run includes a 38-point demolition of Baylor in the season opener. With the injuries impacting Washington State and how well Gonzaga plays in Spokane, give the edge to the hosts.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
Washington State has struggled defensively this season and has allowed 176 points in their last two games. For the season, the Cougars are prone to turn over the ball as they commit turnovers on 20.9% of their possessions, which is 329th in the nation. That can lead to plenty of transition buckets for a Gonzaga team that is more than capable of piling up points normally. Each team is effective offensively as Washington State is 19th in effective field goal percentage (57%) while Gonzaga is fifth in offensive efficiency, 38th in effective field goal percentage (55.3%) and 13th in turnover percentage (13.8%) on the year. Both teams love to run with the Cougars 25th in adjusted tempo (72.3 possessions per game) and the Bulldogs are 55th with 71.1 possessions per game. This game has a track meet feel and goes over the number.
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