GAME NOTES: The Gonzaga Bulldogs turn their attention back to league play as they host the University of Portland Pilots in West Coast Conference action. Portland managed to halt a three-game losing streak with a 73-63 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Friday. Still, the Pilots are just 7-13 overall, including 2-3 in WCC games, and they are 2-7 in true road bouts. Gonzaga did battle with top-ranked Memphis on the road on Saturday, and despite a strong effort in that clash, the result was an 81-77 setback. That loss halted a six-game win streak for the Bulldogs, who are 15-5 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Furthermore, they are 8-1 at home this season and have been nearly impossible to beat at McCarthey Athletic Center since the building opened. Gonzaga holds a 79-65 lead in the all-time series with Portland, including eight consecutive wins over the Pilots.

Portland does not have a single player in the lineup capable of taking over a game at the offensive end. Sure, there are three double-digit scorers on the team, but none of the three are star-caliber performers. Nik Raivio leads the way with 12.4 ppg, and Sherrard Watson checks in with 10.9 ppg. As for Robin Smeulders, he is contributing 10.4 ppg. The Pilots are generating 67.2 ppg while allowing 69.4 ppg, as they are being outscored despite outrebounding the opposition by nearly five boards per contest. Taishi Ito and Kramer Knutson scored 11 points apiece in the win over Cal State Bakersfield on Friday, and Smeulders added 10 points off the bench. Portland connected on 50 percent of its field goal attempts in that game and finished with 20 assists. The Pilots also got the job done defensively, limiting the opposition to 39 percent shooting from the floor.

Four players are scoring in double figures for Gonzaga this season, and Matt Bouldin leads the pack with his 14.3 ppg. Josh Heytvelt checks in with 12.0 ppg, and Jeremy Pargo contributes 11.3 ppg to go with his team-high 6.1 apg. As for Austin Daye, he adds 10.5 ppg. The Bulldogs are scoring 75.4 ppg this season while limiting the opposition to 64.3 ppg. As is typically the case with a Mark Few-coached Gonzaga team, the roster is full of strong shooters, and the team plays exceptionally well at both ends of the floor as a unit. In the narrow loss to Memphis, Pargo proved that he was capable of excelling against top competition, as he racked up 25 points and seven assists. Heytvelt had 13 points in that contest, and Micah Downs contributed 11 points. Unfortunately for the Zags, they were outrebounded by a 40-28 margin and outscored 19-11 from the foul line.

Gonzaga is once again the class of the West Coast Conference and will crush Portland tonight. Expect the Zags to have this tilt well in hand by intermission.