San Diego heads north to take on No. 16 Gonzaga

Spokane, WA (Sports Network) - After capturing sole possess of first place in the West Coast Conference, the 16th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will play host to the San Diego Toreros this evening at the McCarthy Athletic Center.

The Toreros are spiraling out of control and come into this game fresh off a 70-56 setback to Portland. It was the eighth loss in the last nine games for San Diego, and the third straight setback for the team. The loss to the Pilots also dropped San Diego to just 2-8 in league play.

The Bulldogs grabbed an 80-61 victory over Saint Mary's in their last matchup, pushing their way into the top spot of the WCC with an 8-1 ledger. Gonzaga has now won 12 of its last 13 games, and that includes three in a row.

The Toreros have been miserable at the offensive end of the court this season, and head into this matchup averaging just 62.7 ppg, behind a 41.0 percent shooting effort. Brandon Johnson is pacing the team with 14.6 ppg and 3.3 apg, while De'Jon Jackson is posting 12.0 ppg. Unfortunately San Diego has not had the services of either player of late, as Jackson is out with a torn ACL, while Johnson has missed a couple of games with an injury as well. Without either player the Toreros finished with just 56 points in a loss to Portland. Chris Lewis led the way in the setback with 13 points, while Chris Manresa added a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Matt Dorr tallied 11 points in the loss.

Gonzaga has not been just one of the best offensive teams in the conference, but the Bulldogs are also considered one of the better scoring teams in the nation. Gonzaga is currently averaging 78.4 ppg and that is largely due to the play of Matt Bouldin, who is leading the Zags with 16.8 ppg and 95 assists. Elias Harris is helping out with 15.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg, while Steven Gray and Robert Sacre are posting 13.2 and 10.3 ppg, respectively. In the team's recent win over Saint Mary's, the Zags put forth another strong performance, shooting 54.2 percent from the floor. Harris led the way with 19 points, while Bouldin added 18 points. Sacre posted 13 points and grabbed six boards in the win.