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For the first time since 2012, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are in danger of not earning at least a share of the West Coast Conference Title and need to top the San Francisco Dons at home on Thursday to keep the conference crown hopes alive.
San Francisco Dons vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs (-14, 155)
The last time these two teams faced, Gonzaga escaped with a 77-75 win after trailing by 10 points at halftime, which has been an ongoing theme this season.
Among its eight conference wins, Gonzaga has been tied or trailing in the final 90 seconds in three of those games and has allowed at least 74 points in nine of its last 12 games against Division I competition.
The Bulldogs counteract their defensive woes with an offense that ranks fourth in the nation in points scored on a per-possession basis and first when playing at home. But, the interior defense is quite weak despite Drew Timme’s production down low.
Timme has registered terrific offensive numbers, averaging 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists at the forward position but is part of a defensive unit that allows opponents to make 51.6% of their 2-point shots in home games this season, good for 285th among the 363 Division I teams.
San Francisco is one of few teams in the nation that has been more efficient on offense when playing on the road, averaging 1.9 more points per 100 possessions and ranking 37th in points scored on a per-possession basis in a road or neutral court environment.
In the last meeting, San Francisco struggled to take care of the ball, totaling 11 more turnovers than Gonzaga yet only lost by two points in comeback fashion.
With San Francisco cleaning up the turnover issues, averaging just 12.3 per game across the last three games, it will lead to fewer wasted opportunities and another scare for Gonzaga.
The Play: San Francisco +14
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