Eastern Washington @ Gonzaga preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 11, 2011 ) Eastern Washington 69, Gonzaga 77

Second-ranked Gonzaga just completed a three-game stretch of marquee games and now it takes the local approach when it hosts nearby Eastern Washington on Saturday in Spokane, Wash. The Bulldogs posted back-to-back road wins over Washington and Arizona before closing the stretch with a solid 94-81 home victory over North Carolina on Wednesday.

The Eagles are located in Cheney, just 18 miles from the Gonzaga campus, and Bulldogs coach Mark Few is ready to play the Big Sky program after the trio of tests. "I'm just glad it's over," Few told reporters. "I've been hearing about this thing for six months from all our fans, in a good way. They were excited." The contest with the Tar Heels was one of the most anticipated home games in school history and Gonzaga was up to the challenge by shooting 59.3 percent from the field. Eastern Washington is averaging 113.7 points during a three-game winning streak, including a 97-56 rout of Nebraska-Omaha on Tuesday.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports

ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON (7-3): The Eagles lead the nation in scoring offense at 90.7 points per game and coach Shantay Legans is eager to see how his squad fares against the powerful Bulldogs. "It will be a lot of fun and we're looking forward to it," Legans said. "I'm excited we get a chance to play them, and we thank Gonzaga for scheduling it." Junior guard Jacob Davison (18.1) leads the Eagles in scoring with sophomore forward Kim Aiken Jr. (16.1 points, team-high 11.8 rebounds) and senior forward Mason Peatling (15.7) also enjoying solid campaigns.

ABOUT GONZAGA (12-1): Junior forward Corey Kispert scored 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting and made five 3-pointers in the game against North Carolina to raise his average to 15 points per game. "It was just one of those times when you were in the zone," Kispert said afterward. "I knew it was in when I let it go. It's hard not to play with emotion in this place, the fans get you hyped up and pumped up and I kind of just let it show." The Bulldogs average 86.4 points per game and sophomore forward Filip Petrusev leads the team in scoring (16.2), rebounding (8.1) and blocked shots (20 total).

TIP-INS

1. Gonzaga has won the past 24 matchups versus Eastern Washington with the most recent meeting coming on Nov. 11, 2011.

2. The Eagles have defeated just one ranked team, that being when they posted a 68-67 win over No. 10 Saint Joseph's on Nov. 15, 2001.

3. The Bulldogs have won 29 straight home games, the longest active streak in the country.

PREDICTION: Gonzaga 106, Eastern Washington 83