The No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs are just toying with the competition in the WCC, and they will look to add to their list of victims when they engage in a rematch against the massive upset-seeking Pepperdine Waves in Malibu. Check out our preview of this game below.
Gonzaga has become the One Punch Man of college basketball – and maybe in sports. The Bulldogs have yet to play in a game in which they have been seriously threatened. The Bulldogs’ offense just wallops and levels any team that dares to challenge them, and that includes Pepperdine. The Waves got a taste of Gonzaga’s insane offense on Jan. 14 when the Bulldogs scored a 95-70 win in Spokane over Pepperdine. Gonzaga hit 53.1 percent of its shots from the field and went 9 of 23 from behind the arc. Gonzaga, which will face the San Diego Toreros this Thursday, flattens opponents with the highest-scoring offense in the nation. Gonzaga is averaging 94.4 points per game, as of this writing, on a 54.9 percent shooting from the field — both No. 1 nationally. Corey Kispert and Drew Timme scored 23 and 20 points, respectively, in the win over Pepperdine, while Joel Ayayi had 19 points.
Gonzaga is 2-1 against the spread in its last three road games against Pepperdine.
Pepperdine sprayed the BYU Cougars with a 76-73 loss as a 6.5-point home underdog on Jan. 27 just days after suffering a 65-54 road loss against the same team. Pepperdine has been on a groove since losing to Gonzaga earlier this month. The Waves have gone 3-1 straight up over their past four games, collecting wins against the Portland Pilots, Pacific Tigers, and the aforementioned Cougars. If a miracle is to occur against Gonzaga, by which we mean a Pepperdine win, the Waves will have to go all out defensively. They have been pestering opponents of late with their relentless on-ball defense, as they have recorded 33 steals in their last five games for a whopping average of 6.6 steals per contest. In WCC play, Pepperdine is tops with an 11.3 steals percentage. On offense, Pepperdine will look to get everything they can from Kessler Edwards and Colbey Ross. Edwards leads the Waves this season with 18.3 points, while Ross is right behind him with 16.5 points per contest. The two combined for just 23 points (7/23) in the loss to Gonzaga.
Pepperdine is 4-0-1 against the spread in its last five games.
