SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Moving into the third week of West Coast Conference action, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team will hit the road for the first time in conference play when they travel to No. 1 Gonzaga on Thursday night followed by a Saturday afternoon matchup at Pepperdine (6-13, 0-4).
 
GAME 19 INFORMATION:
Date/Time: Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 – 8:00 p.m. PT
Opponent: #1/1 Gonzaga  (14-2, 3-0 WCC) 
Site: McCarthey Athletic Center (Spokane, Wash.)
Watch: CBS Sports Network 
Listen: KNBR 1050 (Pat Olson + Jim Brovelli)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast 
 
GAME 20 INFORMATION:
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 – 4:30 p.m. PT
Opponent: Pepperdine (6-13, 0-4 WCC) 
Site: Firestone Fieldhouse (Malibu, Calif.) 
Watch: NBC Sports Bay Area
Listen: KNBR 1050 (Pat Olson + Jim Brovelli)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• Last week, USF cruised past Loyola Marymount, 97-73, on Thursday, Jan. 13 behind the strength of five Dons in double figures, but ultimately fell to BYU, 71-69, on Saturday, Jan. 15 in a battle that came down to the final possession of the game. In these contests, Jamaree Bouyea continued to make his push as one of the elite guards in college basketball as the Seaside native finished the week with averages of 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. Overall, Bouyea currently ranks first in the conference in made field goals (121), total minutes (631) and total points (322) while also sitting third in scoring (17.9 ppg), total steals (29), made three-pointers (43) and minutes per game (35.1).
• Heading into Thursday's matchup, USF will make the trip to Spokane with 15 wins on the season, tied for the second-most in the nation with 10 other teams, including BYU. Notably, the Dons currently rank 34^th overall in both the NCAA Net Ranking and KenPom.
• As a team, USF has remained lethal from beyond-the-arc this year as the Dons currently pace the WCC in three-pointers made per game (9.7) and three-pointers attempted per game (27.1). Defensively, San Francisco leads the conference in steals per game (7.8) while also sitting second in blocks per game (5.0) and third in opponents' three-point field goal percentage (28.8) and rebounding margin (6.9).

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:

• Entering the contest on a seven-game winning streak, Gonzaga blew past Santa Clara, 115-83, on the road in their last game on Saturday, Jan. 15. Following this offensive outburst, Gonzaga became the first AP Top-5 team to score 110 points in three straight games since UNLV did it in the 1990-91 season. Impressively, GU's 114.0 points per game in WCC play is the highest for a single team through three conference games since LIU Brooklyn averaged 104.0 points per game in 1997-98. This past week, the Bulldogs returned to the top spot in the AP Poll after seven weeks removed from the No. 1 ranking. Prior to this stretch, Gonzaga had sat atop the poll for 20 consecutive weeks. In total, GU has spent 37 weeks at No. 1 in the AP Poll in program history, which is good for eighth all-time. As the nation's top team, Gonzaga boasts a 60-7 record all-time coming into Thursday.
• Last week, Drew Timme was named the National Player of the Week by NCAA March Madness, ESPN.com and the Naismith Trophy. Across their two wins against BYU and Santa Clara, the junior made 27 of 32 shots from the field and scored 62 points as he converted on 20 consecutive two-point field goals before missing a jumper in the paint with 5:39 remaining in the first half.
• Flexing their muscle, Gonzaga comes into Thursday with a 24-game winning streak in conference play, which is the best in Division I, and a 61-game streak winning streak on their home floor. Notably, GU has also tallied 29 consecutive victories in the month of January and 31 consecutive wins at home against WCC opponents. 

SCOUTING THE WAVES:

• Playing at home in their previous three games, Pepperdine fell to Portland, 82-63 at Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 15 as four Pilots finished in double figures to knock off the Waves. Notably, Pepperdine's last win came in a 96-69 victory over Westmont College on Thursday, Dec. 23.
• Leading the way in their first year in Malibu, freshman Mike Mitchell Jr. currently sits second in the WCC in assists per game (4.8) while classmate Houston Mallette ranks fifth in the conference in three-pointers made per game (2.2).
• As a unit, the Waves rank in the top three in the WCC in offensive rebounding (11.0, second), assists per game (15.6, second) and free-throw percentage (74.4, third).
• Last season, Pepperdine was crowned 2021 CBI champions as Lorenzo Romar is now in his fourth year with the Waves this time around and his seventh year overall in Malibu. 

SERIES HISTORY:

• Thursday's meeting between Gonzaga and USF will mark the 88^th matchup all-time between the two programs. Overall, the Bulldogs hold a 65-22 lead over the Dons, including 21 straight victories. USF's last win over GU came in a 66-65 thriller in San Francisco on Feb. 18, 2012.
• Saturday's meeting between Pepperdine and USF will mark the 138^th matchup all-time between the two programs. Overall, the Dons hold a 83-54 advantage over the Waves, but Pepperdine took down USF, 76-68, in their lone meeting last season. 

TRACK THE ACTION:
Thursday's contest will air live on CBS Sports Network and on KNBR 1050 at 8:00 pm PT. Rich Waltz and Dan Dickau will have the call live on CBSSN while Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli will air on KNBR 1050 from Spokane. Live streaming, live audio and live statistics are available above and via the team's schedule page.
 
Saturday's contest will air live on NBC Sports Bay Area and on KNBR 1050 at 4:30 PT. Broadcast details are to be determined while Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli will air on KNBR 1050 from Malibu. Live streaming, live audio and live statistics are available above and via the team's schedule page.
 
TICKETS AND MERCHANDISE:
Single-game tickets for West Coast Conference basketball games are currently on sale at www.usfdons.com/tickets. 

Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at www.usfdons.com/shop.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.