#1/1 Gonzaga (24-0, 15-0 WCC) vs. Saint Mary's (14-8, 4-6)
MONDAY, MARCH 8 | 6 P.M. | ORLEANS ARENA | LAS VEGAS
TELEVISION: ESPN
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga opens the 2021 West Coast Conference Tournament versus fourth-seeded Saint Mary's in the semifinals in the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Monday at 6 p.m.
- It's the 106th meeting between the programs, GU leads the series 74-31, and is 48-11 versus the Gaels under Few.
- The Zags are 14-4 against SMC in the WCC Tournament, winning five of the last six meetings in the event. The teams have now met in the tournament 11 of the past 13 years, including last year's final, an 84-66 Gonzaga victory.
- Gonzaga has won eight of the last 10 WCC tournaments.
- GU is 59-16 all-time in the WCC Tournament with 17 titles and 26 finals appearances, including each of the last 23 seasons. GU is 45-5 under Few in the tournament.
- Gonzaga has never lost an opening game of the tournament in the past 23 years, dating back to 1997.
- Gonzaga has won in the WCC tournament semifinals in each of the past 23 years and is 26-2 in semifinal games at the tournament. The Bulldogs' 23 straight appearances in the finals is the nation's longest active streak of its kind.
- Gonzaga has either won or shared the conference regular season title for a national-best nine straight years.
- GU is the last unbeaten team in the nation, and one of 29 teams in Div. 1 history to end the regular season unbeaten.
- The Zags' 28 straight wins (one shy of tying the program record) dating back to 2019-20 is the longest active streak in nation, along with its 19 straight conference wins.
- GU is first in the nation in scoring offense (92.9), field goal percentage (55.3), two-point percentage (64.4), scoring margin (23.5) and points in the paint (51.2).
- The Zags are one win from the program's 14th straight 25-win season, the second-longest streak in the nation.
- The Bulldogs are 11-0 versus Quad 1 and 2 opponents (7-0 versus Quad 1), which is the best record in the nation.
- Corey Kispert was named the WCC Player of the Year, Mark Few was the WCC Coach of the Year, Jalen Suggs the WCC Newcomer of the Year and Andrew Nembhard was the WCC Sixth Man of the Year.


SERIES NOTES
- This is the 106th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's.
- GU leads the series 74-31, winning 20 of the last 24 meetings, and is 48-11 against SMC under Mark Few.
- Gonzaga swept the season series winning at SMC, 73-59, on Jan. 16, and 87-65 in Spokane on Feb. 18.
- The last 12 WCC Tournament titles have been won by either Gonzaga or SMC. GU has nine of those 12 titles.
- The Zags are 14-4 against SMC in the WCC Tournament, winning five of the last six meetings in the event. The teams have now met in the tournament 11 of the past 13 years.
- In last season's WCC Tournament Championship, Drew Timme scored 17 points, Filip Petrusev had a double-double and No. 2 Gonzaga beat Saint Mary's 84-66. Joel Ayayi also had 17 points. Gonzaga led 42-41 at halftime.
- Gonzaga is 32-11 all-time at home against SMC. GU is 15-4 in the meetings in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs are 26-18 all-time at Saint Mary's.
- The Zags won the first all-time meeting between the programs, 86-84, in Moraga on Dec. 23, 1971.
 
SCOUTING THE GAELS:
- Fourth-seeded Saint Mary's is coming off of a 52-47 win over fifth-seeded Loyola Marymount in the WCC Tournament quarterfinals Saturday. Logan Johnson scored a game-high 25 points to lead SMC. Tommy Kuhse added 12 points. The Gaels' only shot 39.5 percent from the field, including 2-of-15 from three, but held LMU to 37.2 percent (3-of-16 3FG).
- Saint Mary's leads the WCC in scoring defense at 61.6.
- Three Gaels average double-digit scoring led by Johnson's 13.4 points per game. Kuhse chips in 12.5 points per game, while MattiasTass averages 10.9 points.
- Kuhse is second in the conference averaging 5.05 assists per game, and fourth with 1.52 steals per game. His 35.44 minutes per game is also second in the league.
 
A ZAG WIN WOULD ...
- Extend the nation's longest active win streak to 29, which would tie of the program record set in 2016-17.
- Extend the nation's longest active neutral-court win streak to eight.
- Extend the nation's longest active conference win streak to 19.
- Improve Corey Kispert' career record in games he appeared in to 120-10.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Corey Kispert recently passed Derek Raivio for sixth in GU history for most career three-pointers. Kispert is currently at 247. Josh Perkins (5th, 251) Matt Santangelo (4th, 252)
- Kispert is three wins shy of moving to fourth in GU history for most victories in a career (119-10 current career record).
- Kispert is 36 points from passing Przemek Karnowski for 16th in GU scoring history. (Kispert at 1,459 career points)
- Kispert is averaging 19.5 points per game on 55.6 percent from the field, 46.3 percent from the three, and 88.9 percent from the foul line. No player has averaged 20 PPG on 55/45/90 shooting in D-I in at least 30 years.
- Aaron Cook is seven assists from 300 in his career.
 
WHAT A STORY FROM COREY
- From ESPN Stats, over 10,000 players have played in at least 100 Division I games over the last 25 years. Corey Kispert has the highest winning percentage of any of them at 92.2 percent (119-10).
- The Zags ranked ahead of Kispert in career wins post these career winning percentages ...
Przemek Karnowski - 96.4 (137-15)
Silas Melson - 88.1 (126-17)
Josh Perkins - 87.6 (134-19)
Kevin Pangos - 85.9 (122-20)
Kyle Dranginis - 85.3 (122-21)
 
HISTORY MADE
- Gonzaga finished the regular season unbeaten for the first time in program history.
- The Zags became the 29th team in Div. 1 history to achieve the feat, and only the fourth in the last 20 years.
- The Bulldogs are the first team to accomplish this feat since Kentucky did so in 2014-2015.
- Only 19 squads have entered the NCAA Tournament with unblemished records since the first NCAA Tournament in 1939. Seven became unbeaten NCAA champions – the last being Indiana in 1976. Since then five teams have entered the NCAA Tournament undefeated.
- Gonzaga is the first team in the West Coast Conference to finish a regular season undefeated since San Francisco did so in 1955-1956 on their way to a national championship, led by Bill Russell.
 
QUITE THE STREAK
- Gonzaga has won 21 consecutive games by double digits. The Zags broke the 1971-72 UCLA's team record for the longest streak within a season by an Associated Press No. 1 team. That UCLA team went 30-0 and won the national title, winning two games by single digits (6-point margin in regular season and five-point national title win). They entered the NCAA Tournament 26-0.
- Only three teams (regardless of rank) over the past 60 seasons have won 21 games in a row by double digits, according to the Elias Sports Bureau: 2020-21 Gonzaga, 2018-19 Gonzaga and 2016-17 Gonzaga. The previous two iterations of Bulldogs teams failed to extend the streak to 22.
 
MORE STREAKS ...
- Gonzaga has won 28 straight games, which is currently the nation's longest win streak, and the second-longest in program history, one shy of tying the GU record set in 2016-17.
- The Zags own the country's longest home win streak with 51 consecutive victories inside the McCarthey Athletic Center, breaking the previous program record of 50.
- GU has won a national-best 19 straight conference games.
- Gonzaga's seven straight wins on a neutral floor tops in the nation.
- The Bulldogs' seven straight road wins is the second-longest streak currently in the country. (Winthrop 12)
 
ZAGS CLOSE TO 25 WINS ... AGAIN:
- Gonzaga has won at least 25 games in each of the last 13 consecutive seasons.
- The Zags have reached the 25-win plateau in 16 of the last 17 seasons, and 20 of the last 22.
- Only Kansas (15) and GU have reached 25 wins in each of the last 13 seasons.
 
THAT'S NINE STRAIGHT
- With the home win over Saint Mary's, Gonzaga clinched the outright West Coast Conference regular season title.
- The Zags have now either shared or owned the WCC regular season title outright in each of the last nine seasons.
- Coach Few now has 20 WCC regular season titles at GU.
- GU extends its current nationally-best active streak of regular season titles, owned or shared.
 
TOP DOGS AGAIN
- The Zags are the top spot in the West Coast Conference Tournament.
- Gonzaga has now been the top seed in the WCC Tournament 20 times in program history.
- GU is 39-6 in the WCC Tournament as the one-seed.
 
ZAGS IN THE WCC TOURNAMENT:
- GU is 59-16 all-time in the WCC Tournament with 17 titles and 26 finals appearances, including each of the last 23 seasons.
- GU is 45-5 under Mark Few in the WCC Tournament with title-game appearances in all 21 seasons.
- The Zags are 26-3 in the WCC Tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas.
- Gonzaga's three losses in the tournament in Las Vegas have all been to Saint Mary's, the 2010, 2012 and 2019 finals.
- The Bulldogs were 33-13 in the conference tournament prior to it coming to Vegas.
- The Zags have never lost an opening game of the tournament in Las Vegas, winning all 12.
- Gonzaga has won the opening game of tournament the past 23 years, dating back to a loss in 64-59 in the 1997 quarterfinals to fourth-seeded San Diego as a fifth-seed.
- The Bulldogs are 28-6 in opening games at the tournament, including 14-6 in the quarterfinals (nine straight wins).
- Gonzaga has won in the WCC tournament semifinals in each of the past 23 years. The Zags last loss in the WCC semifinals was 1994, 83-75, to San Diego in Santa Clara.
- The Bulldogs are 26-2 in semifinal games at the tournament, winning all 12 in Las Vegas.
- Gonzaga has won eight of the last 10 WCC tournaments in Las Vegas.
- Gonzaga is 9-3 in the WCC Tournament finals played in Las Vegas.
- The Bulldogs are 18-8 in championship games at the tournament.