Date: Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Venue: Imperial Arena, Nassau, Bahamas
Broadcast: ESPN+
The West Virginia Mountaineers, holding a 3-1 record, are set to clash with the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-0) at the Imperial Arena this Wednesday.
In their most recent outing, the West Virginia Mountaineers triumphed against Iona with a resounding 86-43 victory. Both teams recorded 17 personal fouls. The Mountaineers connected on 5 out of 19 three-point attempts, while Iona managed a 66.7% success rate from the free-throw line, scoring 10 of 15. Iona secured 30 total rebounds (14 offensive and 16 defensive), but did not block any shots. They also achieved 6 assists and 7 steals during the match. On the defensive side, West Virginia limited their opponents to a mere 23.7% shooting, allowing 14 of 59 attempts to find the basket. They supplied 15 assists, created 20 turnovers, and accumulated 11 steals. Rebounding was strong for the Mountaineers, who totaled 38 boards, including 12 on the offensive end. From the charity stripe, they converted 13 of 19 attempts, resulting in a free-throw percentage of 68.4%. West Virginia finished the game shooting 51.8% from the field (29 of 56) and hit 15 of 31 from deep.
Javon Small emerged as a standout player, contributing 23 points on 7 of 14 shooting, while also grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists in 31 minutes of play.
Discover our expert NCAA Basketball picks and predictions.
West Virginia enters this contest with a 3-1 season record. They average 77.5 points per game (ranking 171st in NCAA basketball) and have a shooting percentage of 45.5%. The Mountaineers are hitting 36.8% of their three-point attempts (43 out of 117) and have a free-throw percentage of 70.7%. As a team, they are securing 36.0 rebounds per game and have recorded a total of 53 assists in the season, placing them 356th for assists in NCAA basketball. They commit an average of 12.3 turnovers and 18.0 fouls per game.
On the defensive side, the Mountaineers generate 15.3 turnovers and draw an equal number of fouls per game. They rank 6th nationally in assists allowed, having conceded just 38 this season. The defense has permitted opponents to shoot 36.3% (89 of 245) and allows 39.0 rebounds per game, with 29.7% of shots from beyond the arc finding the net. They are 56th in points allowed per game (64.3).
In their previous match, the Gonzaga Bulldogs secured an impressive 84-41 victory over Long Beach State. The Bulldogs accumulated 27 defensive boards and 11 offensive rebounds, totaling 38 for the matchup. They turned the ball over just 4 times while forcing Long Beach State into 20 fouls, giving Gonzaga 24 free-throw attempts. The Bulldogs made 17 of those for 70.8%. From the perimeter, Gonzaga connected on 9 of their 27 attempts (33.3%). Overall, they shot 46.0%, sinking 29 of 63 field goals. Defensively, they allowed Long Beach State to hit 17 of 54 field-goal attempts, a shooting percentage of 31.5%. Long Beach struggled from three-point range, scoring just 2 of 20 attempts (10.0%), and finished 5 of 11 at the free-throw line (45.5%). Gonzaga allowed a total of 32 rebounds (9 offensive) to Long Beach State.
For the Bulldogs, Graham Ike shone by scoring 15 points on 4 of 9 shooting in just 15 minutes while grabbing 5 rebounds, though he did not record any assists.
Gonzaga boasts a flawless 5-0 record this season. They commit approximately 16.8 fouls per game and boast a free-throw success rate of 77.8%. The Bulldogs excel in ball movement with an average of 19.0 assists per game, ranking 22nd nationally, while committing only 8.0 turnovers. They have accumulated 466 points, averaging 93.2 points per game and securing 42.6 rebounds per outing. Offensively, Gonzaga shoots 50.2% from the field, placing them 40th in Division 1.
On the defensive end, the Bulldogs allow only 22.5% shooting from three-point range (25 of 111) and opponents hit 71.6% of their free throw attempts. Gonzaga surrenders 8.2 assists and 31.6 rebounds per contest, ranking 12th and 72nd, respectively. Defensively, they allow 61.0 points per game, placing them 29th in Division 1. They force 14.8 turnovers each game and have held opponents to a shooting percentage of 38.3% (48th in D-1).
Free Prediction: Bet on Gonzaga
