Gonzaga needs to play tough on Saturday against much improved Pacific team

The Zags are looking to beat Pacific in their final regular season matchup as WCC foes

Gonzaga Bulldogs Jalen Warley (8) and Davis Fogle (4). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs return home after a two-game stint in the Bay Area, hosting the Pacific Tigers on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 6:00 PM PT.

It is the lone regular-season matchup between Gonzaga and Pacific, which is currently in the midst of a resurgent season under second-year head coach Dave Smart.

The Tigers went 9-24 overall and just 4-14 in the WCC in Smart's first year, but a quality transfer portal class and a couple of key returners have this team sitting 17-12 overall and in fourth place in the WCC at 8-8, 0.5 games up on both Washington State and Oregon State.

Gonzaga (26-2, 14-1) has never lost to Pacific in the 11 years they have been in the WCC, and will look to keep that streak alive on Saturday at The Kennel. This Tigers team is tough on the glass and has shown some strong outside shooting at times this year, making this a bit of a trap game for the Zags if they are not careful.

Below are three things Gonzaga will need to do to preserve their undefeated record at home and ensure a 23rd straight win over the Tigers:

1. Crash the glass

Pacific is one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country, allowing offensive boards just 24.2% of the time - the fourth lowest mark in college basketball.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga is among the better offensive rebounding teams in the sport with a rate of 35.7%, although they have not been as successful the last six weeks since Braden Huff, who averaged a team-leading 2.7 per game, has been out with a knee injury.

The Tigers aren't a particularly big team, with their two best rebounders - Elias Ralph and Justin Rochelin - coming in at 6'7 and 6'5, respectively.

As such, Tyon Grant-Foster, Emmanuel Innocenti, and Jalen Warley will need to crash the boards hard to give the Zags second-chance opportunities on Saturday night.

2. Points off turnovers

Second-chance points will be a big factor in Spokane on Saturday, but so too will points off turnovers. The Tigers are an incredibly turnover-prone team, coughing it up 20.2% of the time this season, which ranks a paltry 344th in the country.

Gonzaga, meanwhile, has been among the best teams in college basketball at forcing turnovers, with a similar 20.5% mark that ranks ninth. The Zags are coming off an 11-steal performance against San Francisco on Wednesday, generating what felt like hundreds of deflections throughout the night.

Each of Pacific's five primary ball-handlers averages over 1.5 turnovers per game, including starting point guard Jaden Clayton who averages a solid 6.1 assists but 2.6. turnovers. Emmanuel Innocenti will likely draw the defensive assignment on Pacific's primary initiator, and if he can get plenty of deflections up top, it should lead to steals and easy points in transition.

3. Defend the perimeter

Gonzaga has played great perimeter defense the vast majority of the season, but they have had ugly performances - including at home against USF back on Jan. 24 and on the road in Corvallis against Oregon State on Feb. 7.

Pacific is the kind of team that could put up a hot shooting night in Spokane, as the Tigers are shooting a very solid 36.8% from deep on the year - 42nd in the country.

Pacific doesn't shoot a ton of threes, averaging just 7.4 makes on 20.1 attempts per game, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Tigers rely more on the outside shot against a bigger, more physical opponent in Gonzaga.

Most of coach Smart's production from the perimeter comes from three players: forward Elias Ralph (41% on 4.0 3PA/G) and guards TJ Wainwright (39.9% on 5.6 3PA/G) and Justin Rochelin (37.5% on 2.5 3PA/G). If the Zags can effectively neutralize that trio from deep, it will go a long way toward ensuring another home win for coach Few's team heading into the final week of the regular season.