Once in a while, you come across a game that perks your ears like a pointer in the woods. Well in the Gonzaga versus Eastern Washington game, my ears must look like Spocks. Gonzaga will cover the 18 point spread with relative ease. Here is why?
The rivalry between Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University is obvious since it's only 19 miles from Spokane to Cheney. Gonzaga carries a 15-game (series) winning streak into tonight's game, and has won 23 of the last 24. The average margin of victory in the past 15 victories is 19.9 ppg. Only four times in those 15 games has the margin of victory been single digits for the Bulldogs, including last year's nine-point 74-65 win at Reese Court on the EWU campus.
The key to this game is simply rebounding! In E. Washington's two losses, they were outrebounded 21-43 @ Cal. And 27-30 @ Minnesota (not a great rebounding team anyway). Meanwhile, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few reinforced and reinforced throughout the entire off-season that his club had to do a better job of rebounding than it did last season. Gonzaga has done exactly that, by out-rebounding six of its seven opponents thus far. Gonzaga holds a +14.9 rebounding margin this season. The only game the Bulldogs have not held the rebounding edge was against Marquette University in the title game of the Great Alaska Shootout. Gonzaga is +17.8 on the boards in its four victories. Gonzaga held a 40-30 edge on the boards in a season-opening loss at the University of Illinois. Last season Gonzaga out-rebounded opponents 24 times in 33 outings, but only nine times by double digits. This season all six games Gonzaga has held the rebounding edge have been by double digits, including a season-high +28 Saturday against Portland State University. Sophomore Cory Violette collected his first career double-double last Thursday against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. It was the fourth double-double by a Bulldog this season - Zach Gourde with two and Ronny Turiaf with one the others. It was Violette's third double-digit rebounding night of the season. He had a career-high 12 at the University of Illinois, and also grabbed 11 against the University of Texas in the Great Alaska Shootout.
Also with starting guard Michael Stepp sidelined, sophomore Kyle Bankhead made the most of his fourth career start on Thursday as he matched his career high of 15 points set last season against Monmouth University. Bankhead got the Bulldogs off and running with 12 first-half points. He finished with a 5-for-8 night from the field, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Dan Dickau (John R. Wood Award Pre-season Top 50 candidate) and Bankhead combined for 33 points, 30 of them from 3-point range. Dickau scored a game-high 18 points, including a 6-of-10 night from 3-point range. The duo a combined 10-for-16 from beyond the arc. They combined to go 11-for-19 overall from the field.
Home Court Advantage: The Kennel - home of Gonzaga University's Bulldogs - has gained the reputation as one of the toughest courts in the country. In the last 10 seasons the Bulldogs are 118-9 at home for a nifty 92.9 winning percentage. The Bulldogs went 12-0 at home in 2001, winning by an average of 24.7 ppg. The Bulldogs are 34-1 in The Kennel over the past three seasons. The 2000 squad was 10-1, and the 1999 Bulldogs completed a 10-0 season in The Kennel, winning by an average of 31.9 ppg. The Bulldogs also posted undefeated home campaigns in 1993 (13-0) and 1994 (14-0), and suffered just one home setback in 1996 and 1998. Gonzaga currently has a 16-game home winning streak dating back to the last home game of the 1999-00 campaign.
Bottom line is Gonzaga is a hot club, and at home against a team that they will destroy on the boards: Play Gonzaga -18
The rivalry between Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University is obvious since it's only 19 miles from Spokane to Cheney. Gonzaga carries a 15-game (series) winning streak into tonight's game, and has won 23 of the last 24. The average margin of victory in the past 15 victories is 19.9 ppg. Only four times in those 15 games has the margin of victory been single digits for the Bulldogs, including last year's nine-point 74-65 win at Reese Court on the EWU campus.
The key to this game is simply rebounding! In E. Washington's two losses, they were outrebounded 21-43 @ Cal. And 27-30 @ Minnesota (not a great rebounding team anyway). Meanwhile, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few reinforced and reinforced throughout the entire off-season that his club had to do a better job of rebounding than it did last season. Gonzaga has done exactly that, by out-rebounding six of its seven opponents thus far. Gonzaga holds a +14.9 rebounding margin this season. The only game the Bulldogs have not held the rebounding edge was against Marquette University in the title game of the Great Alaska Shootout. Gonzaga is +17.8 on the boards in its four victories. Gonzaga held a 40-30 edge on the boards in a season-opening loss at the University of Illinois. Last season Gonzaga out-rebounded opponents 24 times in 33 outings, but only nine times by double digits. This season all six games Gonzaga has held the rebounding edge have been by double digits, including a season-high +28 Saturday against Portland State University. Sophomore Cory Violette collected his first career double-double last Thursday against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. It was the fourth double-double by a Bulldog this season - Zach Gourde with two and Ronny Turiaf with one the others. It was Violette's third double-digit rebounding night of the season. He had a career-high 12 at the University of Illinois, and also grabbed 11 against the University of Texas in the Great Alaska Shootout.
Also with starting guard Michael Stepp sidelined, sophomore Kyle Bankhead made the most of his fourth career start on Thursday as he matched his career high of 15 points set last season against Monmouth University. Bankhead got the Bulldogs off and running with 12 first-half points. He finished with a 5-for-8 night from the field, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Dan Dickau (John R. Wood Award Pre-season Top 50 candidate) and Bankhead combined for 33 points, 30 of them from 3-point range. Dickau scored a game-high 18 points, including a 6-of-10 night from 3-point range. The duo a combined 10-for-16 from beyond the arc. They combined to go 11-for-19 overall from the field.
Home Court Advantage: The Kennel - home of Gonzaga University's Bulldogs - has gained the reputation as one of the toughest courts in the country. In the last 10 seasons the Bulldogs are 118-9 at home for a nifty 92.9 winning percentage. The Bulldogs went 12-0 at home in 2001, winning by an average of 24.7 ppg. The Bulldogs are 34-1 in The Kennel over the past three seasons. The 2000 squad was 10-1, and the 1999 Bulldogs completed a 10-0 season in The Kennel, winning by an average of 31.9 ppg. The Bulldogs also posted undefeated home campaigns in 1993 (13-0) and 1994 (14-0), and suffered just one home setback in 1996 and 1998. Gonzaga currently has a 16-game home winning streak dating back to the last home game of the 1999-00 campaign.
Bottom line is Gonzaga is a hot club, and at home against a team that they will destroy on the boards: Play Gonzaga -18
