Portland @ Gonzaga preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 23, 2017 ) Gonzaga 83, Portland 64

Gonzaga has won its first four West Coast Conference games by an average of 32.8 points and looks for another easy victory when it hosts Portland on Thursday. The No. 14 Bulldogs are tied for first place in the conference with Saint Mary's as they look to defeat the Pilots for the ninth consecutive time.

Senior power forward Johnathan Williams is emerging as a go-to player after contributing 30 points and 10 rebounds in last Saturday's 85-66 victory over Loyola Marymount. Williams was 13-of-18 shooting against the Lions while posting his second-highest scoring output of the campaign and coach Mark Few is hoping to see those types of performances more often. "He's been wildly inconsistent," Few told reporters. "He's had games with two and four points. I'm hoping we're rounding him to where we can count on him for double-digit points and hopefully double-digit rebounds." Portland has opened WCC play with four straight losses, including last Saturday's 70-68 setback at Santa Clara.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ROOT

ABOUT PORTLAND (6-11, 0-4 WCC): Senior center Philipp Hartwich has seven double-digit rebounding efforts this season and will be counted on heavily against the Bulldogs. The 7-foot-2 Hartwich has rejected 47 shots and averages a team-best 8.9 rebounds but he scores just 6.3 points per game despite shooting 65.7 percent from the field. Sophomore forward Josh McSwiggan averages a team-leading 13.2 points while freshman guard Marcus Shaver Jr. and sophomore guard Franklin Porter average 11.2 apiece.

ABOUT GONZAGA (14-3, 4-0): The Bulldogs have maintained a superior edge in the interior and outscored their first four conference foes 176-86 in the paint. Williams paces the squad in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (7.3) while sophomore forward Killian Tillie has emerged with averages of 12 points and 6.1 rebounds to help Gonzaga average 9.5 more rebounds per game than its opponents. Junior guard Josh Perkins excels from outside with a team-best 52 3-pointers and he is averaging 13.5 points and team-high 5.6 assists.

TIP-INS

1. Gonzaga last lost to the Pilots during the 2013-14 season -- 82-73 in Portland.

2. Five Portland players have made more than 20 3-pointers, led by McSwiggan's 44.

3. Perkins had 12 points and 10 assists against Loyola Marymount for his first career double-double.

PREDICTION: Gonzaga 87, Portland 53