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On Saturday night, the Zags will take on the Texas Southern Tigers at the McCarthey Athletic Center. If last year’s matchup between the two teams is any indicator of how things will go, Gonzaga should consider this a great game for practice and warm up.
Last year
When they played last season, the Bulldogs sailed to a 97-69 win; the effort led by Josh Perkins who scored 20 points and knocked down six 3-pointers. Coach Few mentioned that the team was a little soft on defensive in the first half – Gonzaga had 11 turnovers in the first half and only three in the second. After the Tigers jumped to a 10-6 lead, the Bulldogs quickly regained their composure to take control of the rest of the game. Gonzaga was ahead 52-31 at halftime and the teams essentially traded baskets during the second half.
Players to Watch
During their last meeting, Rui Hachimura scored 11 points for the Zags. After coming off a stellar showing against Idaho State earlier this week, which included 33 points and four rebounds, he is primed to do some real damage to the Tigers when they visit the Kennel this year.
The Tigers’ Jalyn Patterson is a transfer from LSU. During the 2016-17 season (he sat out last season), Patterson averaged 5.8 points, 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. In their game against Baylor, Patterson threw up two three’s in the final 1:06 to grab the win.
Looking Forward
While this contest should prove to be an easy task for Gonzaga, and highly entertaining for viewers, the Zags should use games like these to work out any kinks they may have on the floor before conference play starts. One of the best things about games early in the season is to base how good these guys are going to get as the season goes on – The Idaho State game was high-scoring and fast-paced with only a handful of turnovers. Even with Tillie being out for the time being, things seem to be clicking correctly for the Zags so early on that this season continues to look insanely promising.
Programming Note
Originally scheduled to air on KHQ, the game has been moved to SWX locally and ROOT Sports throughout the region. The game can also be streamed online at TheW.tv.