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Gonzaga Basketball

It’s been over 15 years since Gonzaga last lost to Pepperdine, and that Zags team was great too

Gonzaga point guard Nigel Williams-Goss lead the charge last time out against Pepperdine, scoring a team-high 16 points on Dec. 29, 2016 in Spokane. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)

The No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs head to Malibu, California on Saturday for their 84th all-time meeting with the Pepperdine Waves.

The Zags have won 32 straight against the Waves, with their last loss to Pepperdine coming on Jan. 18, 2002 at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu. The Waves snapped the No. 13 Zags’ 12 game winning streak*, 88-79. In games played in Malibu, the Zags hold a narrow 20-17 advantage.

Earlier this season, Gonzaga cruised to victory over Pepperdine, 92-62. Nigel Williams-Goss and Przemek Karnowski each scored 16 points.

Last year in Malibu, Domantas Sabonis scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds when the Zags edged Pepperdine, 69-66. Josh Perkins added another 10 points for Gonzaga.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few has only lost to the Waves twice in his career, going 36-2.

GU has posted a 52-31 overall series record, winning the first meeting with Pepperdine 93-70 on Dec. 11, 1964 in Portland.

*After the loss to the Waves, the 2001-02 Zags would go on to win their next 14 games – including the WCC tournament title – to finish the season 29-3 before crashing out of the NCAA tournament in the first round at the hands of Wyoming.