Jan. 5, 2006
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Friday, January 6
Santa Clara Broncos (6-7, 0-0) at Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-10, 0-0)
Location: Spokane, Wash. - McCarthey Athletic Center
Time: 8:00 PM (PST)
Television: FSN Northwest and Bay Area
Preview: Santa Clara travels to Spokane to take on Gonzaga in the WCC conference opener for both squads. The matchup is a rematch of last season's WCC Tournament championship game, when the Broncos upset the top-seeded Bulldogs, 77-66, to snap GU's 23-game winning streak and capture the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The game will pit the high-scoring Santa Clara squad, which averages a league-high 78.3 points per game, against a tough Gonzaga defense that has held opponents to a conference-low .379 field goal percentage this season. The Broncos feature the circuit's top scorer and rebounder in Michelle Cozad, while Zags will counter with veteran forwards Stephanie Hawk and Anne Bailey.
Gonzaga's Key Players: Anne Bailey - 10.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg; Stephanie Hawk - 12.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Santa Clara's Key Players: Michelle Cozad - 18.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg; Chandice Cronk - 10.9 ppg, 2.3 apg
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, January 7
San Diego Toreros (10-3, 0-0) at Loyola Marymount Lions (3-11, 0-0)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. - Gersten Pavilion
Time: 3:00 PM (PST)
Television: FSN West
Preview: The West Coast Conference season tips off with the University of San Diego traveling to Loyola Marymount University for an afternoon matchup. The Toreros have been the surprise team of the non-conference season, racing out to a 10-3 record. USD enters WCC play with 10 or more wins for just the third time since joining the NCAA Division I ranks back in 1979-80, while the 10-3 mark is Head Coach Brad Holland's best record entering conference action. San Diego senior forwards Corey Belser and Nick Lewis are two of the best in the conference at their position. Belser is one of the top defenders in the country, while Lewis is arguably the most versatile big man in the conference. Add to the mix deadly-shooting point guard Ross DeRogatis, and a pair of standout freshmen in center Gyno Pomare and guard Brandon Johnson, and the Toreros have all the ingredients for a run at the conference title. Loyola Marymount, led by first-year Head Coach Rodney Tention, suffered key injuries during the off season and in the early going, resulting in a 3-11 non-conference record. Senior guard Wes Wardrop and junior forward Matthew Knight and junior guard Brandon Worthy look to get the Lions on track during conference play.
San Diego's Key Players: Corey Belser - 14.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg; Nick Lewis - 19.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Loyola Marymount's Key Players: Matthew Knight - 15.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg; Brandon Worthy - 12.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Saturday, January 7
Gonzaga Bulldogs (10-3, 0-0) at Saint Mary's Gaels (7-5, 0-0)
Location: Moraga, Calif. - McKeon Pavilion
Time: 8:00 PM (PST)
Television: ESPNU (Direct TV and Dish Network subscribers contact your satellite provider)
Preview: The No. 8 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs head to McKeon Pavilion to take on the upset minded Saint Mary's Gaels in a rematch of the past two WCC Tournament finals. The Zags have taken home the last five WCC regular season crowns, a feat matched only by the University of San Francisco (1981-1977). Gonzaga junior Adam Morrison has made a strong statement for national Player of the Year honors with an outstanding first half of the season. Morrison leads the nation in scoring with 27.8 ppg, despite facing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. Winning on the road is never easy, and this figures to be one of the biggest tests during conference play for the Zags. Just ask the Nevada Wolfpack how hard it is to beat the Gaels in McKeon Pavilion. Led by a career-high 31 points from junior Brett Collins, the Gaels handed the then-No. 20 Wolfpack an 89-80 defeat on New Year's Eve. The Gaels, led by talented big man Daniel Kickert, shocked the Zags in Moraga last season and would love to do the same this season.
Gonzaga's Key Players: Adam Morrison - 27.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg; J.P. Batista - 19.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg
Saint Mary's Key Players: Daniel Kickert - 17.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg; Brett Collins - 11.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg