College Basketball
San Diego Toreros vs. #4 Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Matchup: San Diego Toreros (15-7, 4-3 WCC) vs. #4 Gonzaga Bulldogs (20-2, 7-0 WCC)
- Date: February 2nd, 2019
- Time: 8:00 pm
- Network: ROOT
- Location: Spokane, Washington
- Venue: McCarthey Athletic Center
- Capacity: 6,000
Tonight, the San Diego Toreros will travel to Spokane to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Will San Diego be able to pull off the upset? Or will Gonzaga continue their winning ways?
San Diego is led by a trio of seniors who can fill it up
San Diego has a trio of seniors who know how to fill it up. Senior forward Isaiah Pineiro leads the Toreros in scoring (19.5 points per game), and what’s most impressive about Pineiro is his efficient scoring. He shoots an impressive 52.1% on the court. Senior guard duo Olin Carter III and Isaiah Wright also contribute scoring 16.5 and 13.1 points per game respectively. Currently, San Diego is on a two-game winning streak with victories over Loyola Marymount and San Francisco. To topple Gonzaga, more than likely, San Diego will have to put up more than their 74.4 points per game average.
Gonzaga has the best offense in the nation
Gonzaga boasts the best offense in the nation. The Bulldogs score a staggering 91.5 points per game, which is on par with NBA teams. Impressive junior forward Rui Hachimura leads the Bulldogs in scoring, 19.9 points per game. Many basketball analysts project Hachimura to be a top-10 draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Junior forward Brandon Clarke (16.6 points per game) and sophomore guard Zach Norvell Jr. (15.5 points per game) also help carry the scoring load. Senior guard Josh Perkins makes sure Gonzaga’s offense run like clockwork, averaging 6.7 assists per game which is top-10 in the nation.
The last loss suffered by Gonzaga was against then 12th ranked North Carolina on December 15th. Since then, Gonzaga has reeled off eleven straight wins, including a 98-39 beatdown of Santa Clara. There is a reason why Gonzaga is ranked 4th in the nation.
Predictions
The only hope San Diego has to defeat Gonzaga is to step up defensively. Also, Pineiro has to have one of the games of his life. If Pineiro can keep Hachimura and Clarke busy on defense, there’s hope. If not, it’s going to be a long night for San Diego. Expect Gonzaga to run away with this game.
San Diego – 68
Gonzaga – 88
Follow us on YouTube and Twitter
Photo Credit
@ZagMBB via Twitter
Written by Ryan Gayle
