STOCKTON, Calif. – After only competing in one game last week, the Pacific men's basketball team travels to take on San Francisco at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, before returning home to square off against #6 Gonzaga at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21.
The Tigers (10-10, 3-2) continue their impressive start to the conference schedule after wrapping up last week with a home contest against Santa Clara. Judson Martindale led the team in scoring against the Broncos, registering a 17-point performance while shooting 75 percent (six-for-eight) from the field. Martindale also led the team in three-point baskets, connecting on four of his six attempts.
Through the first five games of league play, Martindale ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.8 points per game after reaching double figures in back-to-back games.
Keylan Boone also contributed for the Tigers against the Broncos, tallying 13 points in 24 minutes. Reaching double figures for the seventh consecutive game, Boone has scored 10 or more points in 11 of the 14 games since making his season debut. The junior from Tulsa, Okla., only had nine double-digit performances while playing at Oklahoma State in three previous seasons.
San Francisco enters Thursday's contest in ninth place in the conference standings after dropping five of its first six league games. The Dons (12-9, 1-5) are coming off two-straight losses, falling narrowly at Portland before dropping a 17-point decision to Saint Mary's last week.
Khalil Shabazz leads the Dons in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game. Ranking sixth in the conference in scoring average, Shabazz has surpassed the 20-point threshold in four of the last eight games, including scoring 26 and becoming the team's all-time leader in three-point baskets in the loss at Portland.
Tyrell Roberts and Zane Meeks also average double figures for the Dons, recording 15 and 12.2 points per game, respectively.
Defensively, Saba Gigiberia stands alone as the only member to register double-digit blocks with 14, while Shabazz leads the Dons in steals by a wide margin with 44.
Thursday's meeting will be the 112th time these two programs have faced off, with San Francisco holding a 77-34 edge. The Tigers held an upper hand over the Dons to start the rivalry, earning the first three wins by a combined slim margin of 77-67. The Dons soon took over, winning 49 of the next 65 contests.
In the lone matchup last season, the Dons dominated the Tigers in Stockton, earning a 104-71 win at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
Nationally ranked Gonzaga enters the week as the league's top team, coming in at #6 in the most recent AP Top 25 poll. Before making the trip to Stockton, the Bulldogs (16-3, 5-0) will take on LMU in Spokane to begin the fourth week of conference play.
A juggernaut of a program, the Zags rank first nationally in scoring, averaging 86.9 points per game while shooting a stellar 51.7 percent from the field. The team has registered seven 100-point games through 19 games this season, with two coming during conference action in wins over Pepperdine and Portland.
Drew Timme leads the team in scoring, averaging a league-best 21.5 points per game. Timme has scored 20 or more points in 11 games this season, including tallying two 30-point performances in wins over Montana and Pepperdine. The fourth-year player also leads the team defensively, averaging 7.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game.
The supporting cast of Julian Strawther, Rasir Bolton, and Anton Watson also contribute to the Zags' offensive efforts, averaging 13.8, 10.6, and 10.1 points per game, respectively.
Saturday's matchup will be the 22nd meeting between the two programs. The Zags have controlled the matchup throughout the years, as the Tigers earned its last win on December 23, 1976.
For more information about the 2022-23 season and future events, follow Pacific men's basketball on social media and download the Pacific Athletics mobile app.
