Gonzaga @ Loyola Marymount preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 9, 2017 ) Gonzaga 90, Loyola Marymount 60

Gonzaga is off to a strong start in West Coast Conference play and looks to defeat host Loyola Marymount for the 17th consecutive time on Saturday. The No. 19 Bulldogs won their first three WCC games by an average of 37.3 points with the largest margin being a 49-point win over Santa Clara.

Gonzaga is 37-3 against Loyola Marymount during Mark Few's 18-season coaching tenure and another victory figures to be easily attainable. The Lions have lost five straight and seven of their past eight after suffering a 65-49 home setback against Santa Clara on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs defeated lowly Pepperdine for the 34th straight time on Thursday with an 89-59 triumph. Sophomore forward Killian Tillie had 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting and collected eight rebounds in the easy victory.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT GONZAGA (13-3, 3-0 WCC): Tillie ranks fourth on the Bulldogs with a 12.3 scoring average and he also knocked down a career-best three 3-pointers in the assault of Pepperdine. "It was Tillie's night," senior power forward Johnathan Williams told reporters afterward. "We kept feeding him the ball and he kept eating." Williams (team-leading 7.1 rebounds) and junior guard Josh Perkins (team-best 5.4 assists) share the team-scoring lead at 13.6 per game while freshman guard Zach Norvell Jr. averages 13.

ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (5-9, 0-3): Junior guard James Batemon leads the Lions in scoring (17.8) and assists (4.6) but tallied just six points against Santa Clara after topping 20 in five of the previous six games. Freshman forward Eli Scott is averaging 13.1 points and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds while senior wing Steven Haney is contributing 11.9 points with a team-best 34 3-pointers. The 49 points versus Santa Clara represent Loyola Marymount's second-lowest output of the season, ahead only of the team's 48-point effort against Boise State on Nov. 25.

TIP-INS

1. Gonzaga won last season's two meetings by an average of 34 points.

2. Haney (169 career 3-pointers) is five shy of fifth-place Jim Williamson (1993-97) on the school's all-time list.

3. Bulldogs senior G Silas Melson (10-point average) was scoreless versus Pepperdine after scoring 19 in the previous game against Santa Clara.

PREDICTION: Gonzaga 96, Loyola Marymount 57