San Francisco @ Gonzaga preview
McCarthey Athletic Center
Last Meeting ( Mar 9, 2020 ) San Francisco 77, Gonzaga 81
The fact San Francisco hasn't won on the road against top-ranked Gonzaga since 1989 doesn't prompt Mark Few to believe another win is a given for his team.
Few expects a strong battle from the Dons on Saturday night when the Bulldogs (9-0) open West Coast Conference play with an eye on defeating San Francisco for the 32nd consecutive time in Spokane, Wash.
"San Francisco is somebody that plays really tough," Few said of the matchup. "We have to be ready to go every night out."
Few was an assistant coach at Sheldon High in Eugene, Ore., when the Dons last won in Spokane, 67-64 on Feb. 10, 1989. Overall, San Francisco is 2-35 all-time when playing the Zags in Spokane.
But Gonzaga's success isn't limited to the home floor. The Bulldogs are 42-4 versus the Dons during Few's 22 seasons and have won the past 19 meetings, last losing in 2012.
Sam Francisco (7-4, 1-0 WCC) will strive to end the losing streak against a team that has won its last five games by an average of 30.6 points. Gonzaga rolled to a 112-67 over Dixie State in its most recent contest with the 45-point margin representing its largest of the season.
The Bulldogs are expected to be at full strength, too. Freshman star Jalen Suggs, who averages 15.1 points, 5.9 assists and 2.6 steals, is slated to return after missing two games with a right leg injury.
Corey Kispert has emerged as a bona fide star this season and leads Gonzaga with a 21.1 scoring average and 30 3-point baskets. He is shooting 61.6 percent from the field, including 51.7 from behind the arc.
Big man Drew Timme is contributing 19.3 points and 6.9 rebounds, and guard Joel Ayayi averages 11.6 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds for a squad averaging 96.2 points per game.
The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Ayayi had recorded back-to-back doubles, averaging 19 points and 10.5 boards during the stretch.
"I'm amazed he's had back-to-back double doubles," Few said of Ayayi. "Who'd had thought that with the body he has?"
San Francisco created some national waves earlier this season with a 61-60 upset of then-No. 4 Virginia on Nov. 27. Gonzaga also has played Virginia, winning 98-75 on Dec. 26.
The Dons lost to Rhode Island two days after the Virginia victory and followed with three consecutive victories. But the momentum took a hit with back-to-back losses to Pac-12 schools Cal and Oregon.
But San Francisco overcame a poor start -- it trailed by 10 in the first half -- to post a 70-62 home victory over San Diego on Thursday in its WCC opener.
Jamaree Bouyea matched his career-high with 24 points -- set against Cal on Dec. 13 -- and also contributed seven rebounds and five assists. Bouyea scored 18 points in the second half.
"He's a fantastic player. I think he's one of the better guards in the country," Dons coach Todd Golden said after the contest. "We need him to play well for us to be a good team and he has continued to deliver. We probably put a little too much on him, but he doesn't back down.
"I thought in the second half he was a little more aggressive. He picked his spots and did a really good job of carrying us to get us out to that nice lead."
Bouyea leads San Francisco with averages of 18 points and 4.2 assists. Khalil Shabazz scores 15 points per game while Dzmitry Ryuny contributes 10.3 points and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds.
Ryuny has made a team-high 30 3-pointers while Shabazz (27) and Bouyea (22) also rate as long-range threats.
--Field Level Media