Gonzaga @ Brigham Young preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 6, 2018 ) Brigham Young 54, Gonzaga 74

Fourth-ranked Gonzaga looks to record its 11th consecutive victory when it visits BYU in West Coast Conference play on Thursday. The Bulldogs have won by an average of 36.2 points during their 10-game winning streak but could be tested by the Cougars, who are 10-1 at home.

A triumph would give Gonzaga its 22nd straight 20-win season as well as extend its NCAA record of consecutive conference road victories to 28. The Bulldogs are coming off a 98-39 steamrolling of Santa Clara and the 59-point margin of victory ranks third in school history while the program record 61-point shellacking of Denver also occurred this season on Dec. 21. "Before we start a game, we talk about making a statement that we're No. 1 in the country," junior forward Rui Hachimura told reporters. "It doesn't matter who we are against. We have bigger goals." BYU recorded a 71-66 win over Saint Mary's in its last outing as standout junior forward Yoeli Childs had 23 points and 11 rebounds for his 32nd career double-double.

TV: 11 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT GONZAGA (19-2, 6-0 WCC): The Bulldogs set a program record by committing just two turnovers against Santa Clara while forcing 18 miscues and turning them into 26 points. Senior point guard Josh Perkins (11-point scoring average) has been a solid ball-handler all season and is averaging 6.6 assists while committing just 40 turnovers in 21 games. Hachimura averages a team-best 19.9 points with junior power forward Brandon Clarke (16.3 points, team-leading 7.7 rebounds) and sophomore guard Zach Norvell Jr. (15.7 points) also enjoying solid campaigns.

ABOUT BYU (13-9, 5-2): The Cougars have won four of their past five games and also committed only two turnovers in their last outing while pressuring Saint Mary's into 15 and converting the mistakes into 17 points. Childs leads the WCC in scoring (22.3) and rebounding (9.7) and has scored 20 or more points in each of the past six games. Junior guard TJ Haws is averaging 17.6 points and leads BYU in assists (5.2) and 3-point baskets (43).

TIP-INS

1. Gonzaga has won in each of its last four visits to Provo and is 5-2 overall on BYU's home floor.

2. Childs has 15 20-point efforts and 12 double-doubles this season.

3. Clarke has 66 blocked shots and is four shy of matching the school's single-season mark set by Austin Daye in the 2008-09 campaign.

PREDICTION: Gonzaga 81, BYU 74