Gonzaga @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 16, 2019 ) Gonzaga 79, San Diego 67

Top-ranked Gonzaga aims to continue its dominance of San Diego when it visits the Toreros on Thursday in West Coast Conference play. The Bulldogs have won the past 10 meetings versus San Diego and 21 of the last 22 encounters.

Gonzaga has won eight consecutive contests but its first two WCC games were closer than expected as it prevailed 85-72 at Portland and 75-70 at home against Pepperdine. The Bulldogs have won a staggering 33 consecutive conference road games and haven't lost at San Diego since falling 69-66 on Feb. 22, 2014. Gonzaga is averaging 87.5 points per game and had topped 80 in seven straight games until the 75-point effort against Pepperdine that included 17 turnovers and 5-of-18 shooting from 3-point range. The Toreros dropped their first two WCC games, both on the road, first losing 64-58 to Loyola Marymount before suffering a disheartening 80-63 setback against Santa Clara on Saturday.

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: ROOT Sports

ABOUT GONZAGA (16-1, 2-0 WCC): Senior forward Killian Tillie is finding his stride with back-to-back 20-point outings - including a season-high 22 versus Portland - and has raised his average to 13.2, third best on the squad. Sophomore forward Filip Petrusev leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16.6), rebounding (8.1) and blocked shots (22) and had 16 points and 10 rebounds against Pepperdine for his fifth double-double of the season. Junior forward Corey Kispert (14.3 points) is the team leader with 42 3-pointers but his shooting (11-of-34 overall, 6-of-21 from 3-point range) has been shaky over the past three games.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO (7-10, 0-2): Junior guard Braun Hartfield is playing well with 10 straight double-digit outings and is averaging 15.6 points during the stretch. The hot streak has raised Hartfield's season average to 13.1, just behind sophomore guard Joey Calcaterra (13.2), who has knocked down a team-leading 33 3-pointers. The Toreros allow 68.1 points per game and the poor showing against Santa Clara marked the third time they have permitted 80 or more this season.

TIP-INS

1. Gonzaga is 44-4 versus San Diego in coach Mark Few's 21-season tenure.

2. The Toreros are 5-2 at home with the losses coming against San Diego State and UC Irvine.

3. Bulldogs senior PG Ryan Woolridge was scoreless against Pepperdine after averaging 17 points over the previous three games.

PREDICTION: Gonzaga 89, San Diego 66