MBB Kicks Off WCC Showdown Against Pepperdine This Monday!

No. 14/15 Gonzaga (9-4, 0-0 WCC) facing Pepperdine (6-8, 0-1 WCC)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 30 | 7 P.M. | FIRESTONE FIELDHOUSE | MALIBU, CA
BROADCAST: KHQ/ESPN+
Seattle TV – FOX13+
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THE OPENING TIP
– Gonzaga commences West Coast Conference competition against Pepperdine for the third consecutive year. The Zags and Waves will clash in Malibu on Monday at 7 p.m.
– Gonzaga just encountered a 65-62 defeat to No. 22 UCLA in the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Saturday. Graham Ike was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Ryan Nembhard contributed 16 points and eight assists.
– The Bulldogs have triumphed in 28 successive West Coast Conference openers, which traces back to a 72-61 defeat at Santa Clara in 1996. Gonzaga has secured victories in all 25 WCC openers under Mark Few.
– Gonzaga’s nine consecutive true road victories constitute the second-longest current streak nationally. (Saint Mary’s – 10)
– Ryan Nembhard’s 130 assists rank highest in the nation. The senior has accumulated 28 turnovers. Nembhard’s 10.0 assists per match also lead the country. His 4.64 assist-to-turnover ratio is ranked third.
– Gonzaga stands 11th nationally by averaging 87.2 points per game, which would position them third in GU’s history. (2020-21: 91.0)
– Five Zags are currently averaging double figures in scoring, with a sixth player averaging 9.7 ppg. Five Bulldogs have reached 1,000 points in their careers.
– As a unit, GU ranks seventh nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.88). The Zags are sixth in averaging 19.2 assists per match.
– The Bulldogs sit ninth in the country for free throw shooting at 80.6 percent. GU maintains an average of 16.3 successful free throws per game, leading the West Coast Conference.
– Khalif Battle stands 18th nationally in free throw shooting at 92.5 percent. He converted 50 consecutive free throws before a miss, ranking second in program history (Derek Raivio, 56)
– Gonzaga is 15th in the nation regarding three-point field goal defense, restricting opponents to 27.7 percent from behind the arc. Only one opponent has shot at least 33% from beyond the arc against the Zags, and just three have made 10 or more threes in a single game versus GU.
– Graham Ike (58 percent) and Braden Huff (56.9 percent) rank first and second in the WCC for field goal percentage.
– Mark Few has recently received his first nomination for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
 
SCOUTING THE WAVES
– Pepperdine has secured victories in four of their last six games but recently faced a 91-80 defeat at Santa Clara on Saturday, marking the start of West Coast Conference play.
– Stefan Todorovic led the Waves in scoring with 25 points, in addition to three rebounds, four assists, and a steal. Dovydas Butka contributed 16 points along with eight rebounds and three assists. Moe Odum recorded 14 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and two steals.
– SCU outperformed the Waves with a shooting percentage of 51 compared to 45 percent from the field, with the Broncos making 15-of-33 three-point attempts.
– Odum’s 105 assists rank third in the nation, while his 7.5 assists per match position him sixth. He also contributes an average of 12.1 points per game.
– Todorovic tops the conference, averaging 19.7 points per game. His 276 total points rank 10th nationally.
– Butka leads the team with an average of 7.6 rebounds per game.
 
SERIES INFO
– The Zags commence conference competition against the Waves for the third consecutive season.
– This will mark the 99th all-time encounter between Gonzaga and Pepperdine. The Zags lead the series 67-31.
– GU has emerged victorious in 47 consecutive matchups against the Waves, with the last Pepperdine win occurring on Jan. 18, 2002, by a score of 88-79 in Malibu.
– This streak ranks as the third-longest against any opponent in Division 1 history and is currently the longest active streak.
– The Bulldogs have compiled a 51-2 record against the Waves under Few.
– In their most recent meeting, GU triumphed over Pepperdine last season with a score of 86-61. This marked Mark Few‘s 700th career victory. Graham Ike finished with 24 points and seven rebounds. Nolan Hickman added 19 points, making three three-pointers. Ben Gregg made his first start of the season and secured 10 rebounds, while Ryan Nembhard provided eight assists without any turnovers.
– Gonzaga has triumphed in 21 consecutive games at Firestone Fieldhouse and holds a 27-17 all-time advantage in Malibu matchups.
– Gonzaga leads the series in Spokane with a 35-12 advantage, having won 25 straight games against Pepperdine in Spokane. The last Waves victory at GU was on Feb. 19, 1998, by a score of 65-64.
– Gonzaga claimed victory in the inaugural meeting, 93-70, during the Knights of Columbus Tournament in Portland, on Dec. 11, 1964.
 
UP NEXT
– The 176th all-time encounter between Gonzaga and Portland will be part of the 2025 Community Cancer Fund Classic in the Spokane Arena on Thursday.
– The Zags hold a 109-66 advantage in this series.
– GU has won 18 consecutive games against the Pilots.
– The Bulldogs have a remarkable 45-2 record against Portland under Mark Few.
– The Pilots’ last victory in the series took place on Jan. 9, 2014, with a score of 82-73, in Portland.
– Gonzaga has a 42-6 record at home in this series and has won 18 straight games against Portland at home, which dates back to a 72-68 loss on Feb. 19, 2003.
– GU won the latest match in Portland, recording an 86-65 victory on Feb. 22. Graham Ike scored 20 points while securing 14 rebounds. Nolan Hickman added 19 points with four made three-pointers. Ben Gregg contributed 13 points, and Ryan Nembhard added eight points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
– Last season in Spokane, Braden Huff scored 25 points, while Anton Watson contributed 20, leading Gonzaga to a 96-64 victory over Portland on Feb. 7. The Zags made 15 three-pointers on 33 attempts (45.5 percent). Nolan Hickman contributed 12 points, converting 4 out of 6 attempts from beyond the arc. Ryan Nembhard added 10 points and six assists without turnovers.
– Portland narrowly defeated GU, 70-66, in their first NCAA encounter on Jan. 18, 1959, held at the Spokane Coliseum.
 
FEW NAMED HALL OF FAME NOMINEE
– Mark Few has received his first nomination for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
-Candidates for the Hall of Fame Class of 2025 include Few, Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Dwight Howard, Doc Rivers, Billy Donovan, Sylvia Fowles, Chamique Holdsclaw, Lisa Bluder, Marc Gasol, and Micky Arison.
– Few is one of only eight first-time North American nominees, joining a select group that comprises Donovan, Robert Horry, Howard, Rivers, and Amar’e Stoudemire.
– Finalists selected from the relevant Category Screening Committees for the Class of 2025 will be announced on Feb. 14 in San Francisco, coinciding with NBA All-Star Weekend. The complete Class of 2025 will be revealed during a nationally broadcasted show at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio on April 5.