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The top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will be back in action on Saturday night as they take on their West Coast rival, the Saint Mary's Gaels.
The Bulldogs have a 73-31 historical record over the Gaels and beat them in all three of their matchups in the 2019-2020 season.
Match Details
Fixture: Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Saint Mary's Gaels - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Saturday, January 16, 2021, 10 PM ET
Venue: University Credit Union Pavilion, Moraga, California
Gonzaga Bulldogs Preview
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are coming off a win over the Pepperdine Waves, 95-70, extending their winning streak to 17, dating back to last season.
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The Bulldogs had a rare bad start to the game against the Waves, going into halftime with just a four-point lead, and they actually found themselves trailing 23-21, twelve minutes into the game.
Before Thursday night, Gonzaga was going into the break leading by an average of 15.8 points.
The Bulldogs were able to bounce back from a sloppy first half and shoot 61 percent in the second half, but if they get off to a slow start on Saturday against the Saint Mary's Gaels, their perfect record may be in question.
Key Player - Joel Ayayi
Joel Ayayi is the key player for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The junior guard was named WCC Player of the Week for the second week in a row.
In the last two games, Ayayi is averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and eight assists.
If Ayayi can maintain his current form, the Bulldogs will earn their 13th double-digit win of the season.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Predicted Lineup
F Corey Kispert, F Drew Timme, F Anton Watson, G Joel Ayayi, G Jalen Suggs
Saint Mary's Gaels Preview
The Saint Mary's Gaels are coming off of back-to-back losses, heading into their Saturday matchup against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Though ESPN's Basketball Power Index is just giving Saint Mary's a 14 percent chance to knock off their in-conference rivals, they are the only West Coast Conference team to hand the Gonzaga Bulldogs a loss since 2014, along with the BYU.
However, if that is to happen, the Gaels will need to find a way to score at a high rate. Saint Mary's has failed to score over 65 points in their last three games.
Key Player - Tommy Kuhse
Tommy Kuhse is the key player for the Saint Mary's Gaels. The senior guard is having his best collegiate year averaging 14.5 points which is nearly a nine-point increase from last season.
Kuhse will need to continue to notch up his play to allow the Gaels to have a chance at upsetting the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Saint Mary's Gaels Predicted Lineup
F Matthias Tass, F Dan Fotu, G Tommy Kuhse, G Logan Johnson, G Jabe Mullins
Gonzaga vs Saint Mary's Prediction
The Gonzaga Bulldogs will defeat the Saint Mary's Gaels and go to 14-0 on the season.
According to ESPN, Gonzaga has scored 85 points or more in 13 straight games, giving them the longest streak in Division I over the last 14 seasons. Expect them to make that streak 14 come Saturday night.
Where to watch Gonzaga vs Saint Mary's
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
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