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How to watch Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Washington State Cougars: TV channel, live stream WCC men's basketball game

The Bulldogs and Cougars square off from the Kennel
Cole Forsman|
Gonzaga men's basketball.
Gonzaga men's basketball. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

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The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Washington State Cougars renew their in-state rivalry Saturday when the two square off — for the first time as West Coast Conference competitors — at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

The Zags and Cougs have met on the hardwood 150 times before, though they haven't battled for regional bragging rights since January 2015. Now in the WCC, the two schools separated by less than 80 miles should acquaint over the next few years as both prepare to transition to the new-look Pac-12 in 2026.

"It's kind of different to having a preseason game where you just play it once and it's whatever," Gonzaga senior Ben Gregg said of the matchup with WSU. "But I can't wait to have a little rivalry spark up, and it's gonna be fun for a lot of years to come."

Gregg led the way for the Bulldogs (13-4, 4-0 WCC) in their last time out, a 93-80 victory over San Diego at the Kennel on Wednesday. The senior forward finished with 23 points — one off from tying his season high — and knocked down three 3-pointers while going 9-for-12 from the field. Graham Ike took advantage at the free-throw line to finish with 15 points on 13-for-15 from the charity stripe, along with 19 rebounds and two blocks.

Ike's 16.3 points per game pace the Bulldogs, who rank top 10 in the country in scoring (87.8 points) and assists per game (18.8). Ryan Nembhard is No. 1 in the nation with 164 assists to just 40 turnovers. His 4.10 assist-to-turnover ratio is fifth-best in Division I.

The Cougars (13-4, 3-1 WCC) enter the matchup with a chance to significantly boost their NCAA Tournament aspirations. Ranked No. 75 in the NET, WSU already boasts notable wins over Nevada, Boise State and San Francisco. Thursday night's 95-94 overtime loss to Pacific certainly doesn't help the Cougs' cause, though consider also the team has strengthened its postseason resume without it's leading scorer, Cedric Coward (17.7 points per game in six contests), in the lineup, as well as Isaiah Watts (hand) and Rihards Vavers (both hands).

"He's done an amazing, amazing job," Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of Riley. "They're kind of fearless. They're very, very physical, they're smart, they play like a really old team, and they look like they've played together a long time. So he's done a good job putting them in a system where that kind of accentuates that. It looks like from watching them, they really frustrate some of the teams that they play."

HOW TO WATCH GONZAGA VS. WASHINGTON STATE

Who: Gonzaga and WSU renew their in-state rivalry for the first time as WCC competitors

When: 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET | Saturday, Jan. 11

Where: McCarthey Athletic Center

TV: ESPN+ (out of region), KHQ/SWX (regional)*, FOX13+ (Seattle), FOX12+ (Portland)

KenPom: Gonzaga 90, WSU 74

*Spokane, Yakima, Tri-Cities, Eastern Washington, Coeur d'Alene and North Idaho, Missoula, Great Falls, Butte, Bozeman and Helena may experience blackouts on KHQ/SWX broadcasts. Fans in these areas can watch at swxlocalsports.com.

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Cole Forsman
COLE FORSMAN

Cole Forsman is a reporter for Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI. Cole holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.

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