How to watch Gonzaga vs. Pepperdine: Live stream online, TV channel
Gonzaga men's basketball eyes its first win on the road this season in Malibu, California, where it will take on a Pepperdine squad that has won its last two games.
The Bulldogs (11-5, 2-1 WCC) will look to rebound from a crushing 77-76 loss at Santa Clara last week. Anton Watson led the way with 32 points, tying his career-high against UCLA earlier this season, but it wasn't enough to overcome his team's slow start and poor shooting night from beyond the arc (2-for-20).
Gonzaga clawed back in the second half to take a 76-72 lead with a minute remaining, though a dunk and made free throw from Santa Clara made it a 1-point game with 14 seconds remaining. After Ryan Nembhard missed the first of a one-and-one free-throw attempt, the Broncos' Adama-Alpha Bal raced down the court and got the go-ahead floater to go, plus a foul, with four ticks on the clock. The Bulldogs didn't get a shot off on the final possession, resulting in their first loss to the Broncos since 2011.
After the loss, Gonzaga's streak of 143 consecutive appearances in the AP Top 25 poll was snapped. It was the longest active streak in the country and tied for the 10th-longest all-time.
Meanwhile, the Waves (9-10, 2-2 WCC) ride a two-game winning streak into Thursday's matchup after defeating Pacific and San Diego last week. A 17-0 scoring run helped deliver a comeback victory over the Toreros, which snapped a 29-game losing streak on the road for Lorenzo Romar's program. The 83-77 win followed Pepperdine's best shooting night of the season as it shot 56.7% from the field and 52.4% on 3-point attempts in a 93-78 triumph over the Tigers.
Michael Ajayi is third in the nation with 11 double-doubles, as the JUCO product leads the WCC in scoring with 18.2 points and is second in rebounds with 9.8 per game.
Gonzaga has won 46 straight over Pepperdine, including an 86-60 victory in the WCC opener on Jan. 4.
With a win, Mark Few would become the second-fastest head coach in Division I history to reach 700 career wins. Few already boasts the best winning percentage of all time at 83.4%.
How to Watch Gonzaga vs. Pepperdine
Who: Gonzaga looks for its 47th-straight win over Pepperdine
When: 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. EST | Thursday, January 18
Where: Firestone Fieldhouse | Malibu, California
Live Stream: Stream this game on fuboTV (Start your free trial)
TV: KHQ/ROOT Plus (Spokane region) and ESPN+ (out of region)
