No. 9 Gonzaga hosts Idaho in non-conference action
Sports Network | November 18, 2008
Spokane, WA (Sports Network) - The ninth-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West Coast Conference are set to host the Idaho Vandals of the WAC in Spokane this evening.
Idaho opened the season against Evergreen State on Friday and cruised to a 91-69 victory. Two nights later, however, the Vandals were on the other end of a blowout, as they proved to be no match for Michigan State in a 100-62 setback. The schedule softens considerably in the coming weeks, so the Vandals will have a chance to score some non-league victories before the start of WAC play.
As for Gonzaga, it began its season on Saturday with an 83-52 decision over Montana State-Billings. The Bulldogs have been a dominant program in the WCC over the past decade, winning the last eight regular-season titles and eight of the prior 10 tournament championships. Last season, Gonzaga won 13 of its 14 league bouts and went 25-8 overall en route to its 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. With three starters back in the fold and several key reserves, the Bulldogs are expected not only to be one of the top teams in the WCC, but the entire nation.
Idaho owns a 70-63 lead in the all-time series with Gonzaga, but the Bulldogs have won the last eight meetings.
Through two games, Mac Hopson leads Idaho in scoring with 16.0 ppg, and he has dished out nine assists thus far. Hopson has gotten plenty of help, as there are three other players averaging double figures in scoring. Kashif Watson is netting 12.5 ppg, but his 5-of-14 shooting from the floor isn't exactly impressive. Luciano de Souza adds 11.0 ppg to the lineup, and Trevor Morris rounds out the group with 11.0 ppg. In the loss to Michigan State, Idaho finished with 11 assists against 22 turnovers. The club missed nine of its 19 free throw attempts and permitted the mighty Spartans to shoot 59.6 percent from the floor. Leading the way for Idaho in the setback was Hopson with 13 points, and Brandon Wiley added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Gonzaga is led by Jeremy Pargo, the reigning WCC Player of the Year. In addition to scoring 12.1 ppg last season, the 6-2 guard dished out a team-high 6.0 apg and racked up a club-best 47 steals. Matt Bouldin, a First Team All- WCC choice along with Pargo, scored a team-high 12.6 ppg a year ago and he ranked second to Pargo with 2.9 apg and 44 steals. In the season opener against Montana State-Billings, Pargo only scored seven points, but he dished out 10 assists with zero turnovers. Forwards Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt both had 15 points, and Daye pulled down 12 rebounds to go along with four blocks. As for Bouldin, he tallied 12 points. The Zags earned a 44-31 rebounding advantage in the tilt and limited their overmatched opponent to 32.7 percent shooting from the floor.
