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Preview: Coppin State at Gonzaga
No 10 Gonzaga looks for its seventh win in eight games when it hosts Coppin State on Sunday. The Bulldogs’ only loss of the season came to Dayton in the first round of the Maui Invitational but they bounced back with two consecutive wins thanks to one of the nation’s most prolific offenses. Gonzaga is first in the country in field goal percentage (56.7) and third in points per game (92.6) and looks to reach the 100-point plateau for the third time this season.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 91-81 win over Arkansas, which gave them fifth place in the tournament. Coach Mark Few was disappointed with the early loss but thinks things are coming together, saying: “We will build on this experience, all that tells me we are not that far off.” Coppin State has dropped two of its last three games, including an 87-45 loss to No. 20 Michigan, and things won’t get any easier as it must contend with Gonzaga’s explosive shooters.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT.
ABOUT COPPIN STATE (2-3): Dallas Gary provided a spark off the bench, scoring a team-high 11 points in the loss to Michigan. The Eagles shot just 11.8 percent from beyond the arc and their 45 points against the Wolverines was their lowest point total of the season. Sterling Smith leads the team with 15.8 points per game but could only manage nine in the loss to Michigan.
ABOUT GONZAGA (6-1): Kevin Pangos, who was named to the Maui All-Tournament team, scored a career-high 34 points, including seven 3-pointers in the win over Arkansas. Along with Pangos (22.0), the Bulldogs have two other players – Gary Bell Jr. (15.0) and Sam Dower (15.0) – who are averaging double figures in scoring while Gerard Coleman checks in at 9.1. Przemek Karnowski, who was born in Poland, is ranked third nationally in field goal percentage (74.3).
TIP-INS
1. Gonzaga is 62-6 in non-conference games at the McCarthey Athletic Center, which opened in 2004.
2. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 279-185 in the first period of games this season.
3. Coppin State G Smith has scored in double figures in all five games.
PREDICTION: Gonzaga 95, Coppin State 72
