No. 2 Zags begin road trip at Santa Clara
By Andy Buhler
Jan 29, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; The Gonzaga Bulldogs bench reacts after guard Gary Bell, Jr. (not pictured) made a three point shot during the second half of the game against the Santa Clara Broncos at Leavey Center. The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the Santa Clara Broncos 54-52. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
En route to a conquest to win its 11th-straight conference game and 16th straight game overall, Gonzaga is set for a rematch with Santa Clara tonight.
The Zags will seek a similar result in an away setting, but like home will also face a sold out Leavey Center.
Last time the two faced off…
Przemek Karnowski had 18 points, Santa Clara shot around 35 percent from the field and the Zags won by 22. Karnowski had his way with the Santa Clara front court early and often, specifically SCU’s Nate Kratch who is seven inches shorter than the Polish seven-footer.
What to watch for…
1. Heavy Bronco guard play: Guards Jared Brownridge and Brandon Clark are combining to average 30.4 points per game, which is just beneath Santa Clara’s season average at 62.3 (ppg). A big key to the Zags’ success is making sure those two do not get hot, by virtue cutting off the scoring right at the source. Clark has not shot particularly well on the season, shooting just 35.8 percent from the field and 28.7 from deep, while averagin a team-high 16 points per game.
2. SWITCH UP OF LAST YEAR: During the Zags’ trip to Santa Clara last year, it took a Sam Dower 3 with the clock winding down to beat a below average Bronco squad, so expect a similarly underachieving team but tack on a 20+ point win for the Zags.
Game info…
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Where: Leavey Center, Santa Clara, Calif.
TV: ESPNU
Most recent line: GONZ -16