Ninth-ranked Bulldogs set for battle with Bruins

Dec 13, 2014 - 3:42 PM Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - The ninth-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will play yet another tough opponent on the road, as they take on the UCLA Bruins on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.

Mark Few's Bulldogs have already taken on power conference teams like Georgia, St. John's and Arizona outside of their own building. To the team's credit, Gonzaga has only suffered one defeat on the year, that coming at Arizona on Dec. 6 in Tucson in a hard-fought overtime affair (66-63). The team was able to get some distance from that loss, moving to 8-1 on the year with Wednesday's 81-66 win over Washington State.

UCLA hasn't shied away from top competition either. Steve Alford's Bruins are a solid 8-2 on the season, with the two losses coming against Oklahoma and North Carolina. The team has won four games entering this tilt however, with the most recent being a 77-66 decision over UC Riverside.

These two teams have split a pair of meetings. Gonzaga won the first meeting in 1999 and UCLA evened the score with a 73-71 victory in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs put on an offensive clinic, as three players posted 20 or more points in Gonzaga's 15-point win over the Cougars last time out. Przemek Karnowski erupted for a career-high 22 points, Kyle Wiltjer poured in 21, while Byron Wesley added 20 for Gonzaga, which shot 53.8 percent from the floor in the game. The Bulldogs really asserted themselves inside, outscoring WSU in the paint, 58-34. The team also scored 24 points off of 15 Washington State turnovers.

Efficient play at the offensive end has been the norm for Gonzaga this season. The team is generating an impressive 84.4 ppg, doing it on 52.8 percent shooting, a number than ranks sixth nationally. Wiltjer and Wesley are transfers from Kentucky and USC, respectively, and both have made huge impacts in their first season with the team. Wiltjer leads the team in scoring this year at 16.4 ppg. There is plenty of depth beyond him, as four others are netting double digits on average as well. Wesley ranks second on the team with 12.1 ppg, followed by freshman Domantas Sabonis (11.2 ppg), Kevin Pangos (10.4 ppg) and Karnowski (10.0 ppg). Gary Bell Jr. (9.6 ppg) is eager to join the group.

Not many teams can keep pace with Gonzaga offensively, but UCLA has the personnel to do so. The Bruins are putting up 82.0 ppg this year and also boast of great scoring depth. Norman Powell and Bryce Alford are a potent one- two punch, each netting 17.7 ppg. Kevon Looney has made an immediate impact as well. The 6-foot-9 freshman is averaging a double-double with 14.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Isaac Hamilton (11.0 ppg) and Tony Parker (10.9 ppg) round out a terrific starting five.

The Bruins trailed UC Riverside by eight points at the half (36-28), but UCLA came roaring back after the break to earn an 11-point victory. Powell led five Bruins in double figures with 20 points. Parker had a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Looney matched the feat (his seventh double-double of the year), with 12 points and 11 boards. Alford added 16 points and eight assists to the cause, while Hamilton tacked on 11 points for good measure.