No. 13/14 Gonzaga (7-3) vs. Nicholls (7-4)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18 | 6 p.m. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
TV: KHQ/ESPN+
LIVE VIDEO (Outside KHQ Region) | LIVE VIDEO (in the KHQ/SWX region) | LIVE RADIO | LIVE STATISTICS

THE OPENING TIP
– After 28 days away from home, Gonzaga returns to the McCarthey Athletic Center to host Nicholls in the first-ever meeting between the programs on Wednesday at 6 p.m
– Gonzaga is coming off a 77-71 loss to No. 18 UConn in the Hall of Fame Series at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday. Khalif battle had 21 points, Ryan Nembhard Completed with 16 points and Michael Ajayi 14 points added. The Bulldogs got within 73-70 on a 3-point play by Ajayi with 3:25 left.
– Ryan Nembhards 103 assists lead the nation through 10 games. Nembhard also leads the country with 10.3 assists per game. The senior has 17 turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.06 is second in the country.
– As a team, GU ranks second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.08). The Zags rank 12th with an average of 18.9 assists per game.
– Five Zags are currently averaging double figures, with a sixth at 9.5. Five Bulldogs are 1,000-point career scorers.
– Gonzaga is seventh nationally averaging 88.3 points per game, which would rank second in program history.
– The Bulldogs rank eighth in the country with an 80.8 percent shooting percentage from the free throw line. GU averages 17.7 free throws per game, leading the West Coast Conference.
– Khalif battle is second in the nation with 35 of 36 to start the season. He made 50 consecutive free throws before missing, which ranks second in program history (Derek Raivio, 56)
– Gonzaga ranks third in the country in three-point defense, holding opponents to 24.5 percent from behind the arc. Zag opponents average 5.8 three-pointers per game, which ranks 25th nationally. Only one GU opponent has managed 10 or more this season.

Exploring the Supremes
– Nicholls (Thibodaux, La.) is off to a 7-4 start to the season with a home win over Southern University in New Orleans. Six Colonels reached double figures in scoring, led by Robert Brown III with 28 points. Sincere Malone scored 23 points off the bench, shooting 9 of 10 from the field. Mekhi Collins grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Nicholls outrebounded SUNO 51-31 with 17 offensive players.
– Byron Ireland averages 13.2 points and 2.7 assists per game, a team-high. Brown added 11.4 points. Jamal West Jr. scores 10.4 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds.
– The Colonels won 20 games last season and went 13-5 in the Southland Conference before losing to McNeese State in the league championship game.
– Jamal West Jr. is back for his senior season after being named second team All-Conference.

SERIES INFO
– This is the very first meeting between the programs.
– The Bulldogs are 6-0 against current members of the Southland Conference.
– Gonzaga’s last meeting with a member of the Southland Conference was an 86-65 win over McNeese State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season.

NEXT
– Another first meeting between the Bulldogs and Bucknell on Saturday at 6 p.m
– It’s Bucknell’s first trip to Washington state.
– Bucknell is off to a 4-7 start to the season and suffered a 74-70 overtime loss on Dec. 8 at Radford. It was the Bison’s fifth straight setback.
– The Bison were 10-8 in the Patriot League last season.
– Bucknell is expected to be one of the favorites in the Patriot League this season after the Bison finished in a tie for second place in the regular season a year ago.
– The Bison return six of their seven leaders.

All streaks must come to an end
– Gonzaga suffered two straight losses for the first time since December 2018.
– That means a streak of 204 consecutive games without losing two consecutive games, which was the longest active streak in DI and the third longest of any team since 1980-81.
– The Zags led Kentucky 50-34 at halftime before the Wildcats rallied for a 90-89 overtime victory in Seattle, breaking the Bulldogs’ winning streak of 175 consecutive wins when they held a lead of 10 or more at halftime had points.
– Kentucky became the first team since the 2015-16 season to overcome a double-digit halftime deficit and beat GU.

SHARING IS CARING
– Ryan Nembhards 10.3 assists per game is first in the nation after dishing out 103 assists (1st in the nation) and just 17 turnovers through the first seven games.
-His assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.06 is second in the country.
– Nembhard finished the Battle 4 Atlantis with a career-high and tournament-record 14 assists against Davidson. In the three-game event, he totaled 39 assists and set a new tournament record with just eight turnovers.
– Gonzaga is second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.08. With 18.9 assists per game, the Zags lead the West Coast Conference and are ranked 12th nationally.