LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Fresh off of a thrilling victory over BYU on Saturday night, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (24-8, 10-6 WCC) will battle the nation's top team for the third time this season on Monday night at Orleans Arena as USF and No. 1 Gonzaga (24-3, 13-1 WCC) will duel for a spot in the championship game of the 2022 University Credit Union West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
 
GAME 33 INFORMATION:
Date/Time: Monday, Mar. 7, 2022 – 6:00 p.m.
Opponent: #1 Seed Gonzaga (24-3, 13-1 WCC) 
Site: Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.) 
Video: ESPN (Dave Flemming + Sean Farnham) 
Listen: KNBR 1050 (Pat Olson + Jim Brovelli) 
Live Stats: Statbroadcast 
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• Taking down the Cougars for the second time this season, USF outscored BYU 48-39 in the second half to ultimately pull away and secure the 75-63 win on Saturday night, which punched their ticket to the semifinal round of the WCC Tournament. Notably, this victory marked the fourth neutral site win and the ninth Quad 1/Quad 2 win of the year for the Dons.
• Climbing the ranks once again, USF is now No. 21 in KenPom and No. 24 in the NCAA's Net Rankings. Overall, the Dons are enjoying success on both ends of the floor this year as USF is 35.5 percent from the beyond-the-arc as a team while limiting their opposition to just 29.5 percent from distance. Nationally, USF also ranks eleventh in total three-point field goals made (307), sixteenth in total rebounds (1,222), nineteenth in three-point field goal defense (29.5) and twenty-fourth in total blocks (150).
• Overall, USF boasts a 11-4 record away from War Memorial at the Sobrato Center this season, including a 7-2 mark in true road games. According to Bart Torvik, the Dons are the sixth best road team in college basketball, with the other five teams all ranking in the top seven of the current AP poll.
• With 24 total wins on the season, USF has already recorded their most overall wins in a single season since the program was reinstated in 1985-86.
• Establishing himself as one of the program's all-time greats, Jamaree Bouyea is USF's all-time leader in both games played (158) and total wins (98) as the Seaside native also is sixth all-time in scoring (1,677) entering Monday's contest.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:

• Securing the top seed in the tournament, Gonzaga has been a mainstay at this stage for the past 24 years as the Bulldogs are 61-16 all-time in the WCC Tournament, which includes 19 titles and 27 championship game appearances. Overall, the Zags are 28-3 in the conference tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas.
• Enjoying success in their first matchups, Gonzaga has won their opening game of tournament the past 24 years, dating back to a 64-59 loss in the 1997 quarterfinals, when the fifth-seeded Zags lost to fourth-seeded San Diego.
• Notably, Gonzaga is one victory away from clinching its fifteenth straight 25-win season as GU is currently the only program in the country with fourteen straight 25-win seasons. Kansas (2005-20) owns the NCAA record with fifteen straight 25-win seasons.
• At the top of many statistical categories across Division I, Gonzaga is currently first in the nation in scoring offense (88.3), scoring margin (23.3), and defensive rebounds (32.5) while also ranking second in field goal percentage (53.0) and two-point percentage (60.6), third in rebound margin (9.5), field goal percentage defense (37.6) and win-loss percentage (88.9), fourth in assists per game (18.3) and rebounds per game (42.3) and sixth in assist-turnover ratio (1.55) and blocked shots per game (5.9).
• Recently, Drew Timme was named the 2022 West Coast Conference Player of the Year while freshman Chet Holmgren was selected as the WCC Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year. Timme, Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard each earned First Team All-WCC honors for GU. 

SERIES HISTORY:

• Monday's meeting between Gonzaga and USF will mark the 90^th matchup all-time between the two programs. Overall, the Bulldogs hold a 67-22 lead over the Dons, including 23 straight victories. USF's last win over GU came in a 66-65 thriller in San Francisco on Feb. 18, 2012.

TRACK THE ACTION:
Monday's contest will air live on ESPN and on KNBR 1050 at 6:00 pm PT. Dave Flemming and Sean Farham will have the call on the ESPN while Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli will air on KNBR 1050 from Las Vegas. Live streaming, radio and live statistics are available above and via the team's schedule page.
 
MERCHANDISE:
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.