CSU Bakersfield @ Gonzaga preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2018 ) Cal. State - Bakersfield 54, Gonzaga 89

Seventh-ranked Gonzaga looks to bounce back from a shaky outing when it hosts Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday. The Bulldogs won their first four games by an average of 35.5 points before struggling during a 72-66 home win over UT Arlington on Tuesday.

Gonzaga's 26th consecutive home victory didn't come easy as it received a huge test from UT Arlington, which shot a program-worst 23.4 percent from the field two nights earlier in a loss to Oregon. The stunning upset was there for the taking before the Bulldogs held off the Mavericks and could breathe a collective sigh of relief. "Hey, we won," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said afterward. "They're keeping score and that's the bottom line. Obviously, we faced some adversity probably for the first time all year and sometimes responded pretty well and other times not so well. Now we've got some stuff that I think got their attention and we can really teach to it." Cal State Bakersfield was routed 100-70 by San Francisco on Tuesday and allowed the Dons to make a lava-like 19-of-25 3-point attempts.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Gonzaga)

ABOUT CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD (2-3): Losing by 30 points to one West Coast Conference team right before you visit the best one wasn't a good feeling for Roadrunners coach Rod Barnes. "We've got a lot of work we have to get back to, we have a lot to focus on," Barnes said afterward. "This is a team we knew was going to come in here and shoot the 3, so we have got to do better at defending, especially defending the 3. We have to give them some credit." Junior reserve guard Taze Moore has a team-best 15-point average and shoots 57.7 percent from the field for a squad that is averaging 82 points and topped 90 three times.

ABOUT GONZAGA (5-0): Senior forward Killian Tillie made his debut against UT Arlington and contributed 15 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes to make an immediate difference in his return from knee surgery. "I feel like the team needed it," Tillie told reporters of his production. "It's different guys on the club, but we play the same way. I know the way we play at Gonzaga and I know what coach wants. It wasn't hard to get back to it." Sophomore forward Filip Petrusev leads the Bulldogs with a 16-point average but had season lows of 10 points and three rebounds against the Mavericks.

TIP-INS

1. Gonzaga rolled to an 89-54 win over Bakersfield last season and has won all three meetings.

2. Bulldogs senior PG Ryan Woolridge registered season bests of 19 points and nine rebounds against UT Arlington.

3. The Roadrunners are allowing opponents to make 42 percent of their 3-point attempts, while Gonzaga is making 38 percent of its tries despite a 5-of-22 showing against UT Arlington.

PREDICTION: Gonzaga 88, Cal State Bakersfield 63