Game Preview: Gonzaga Looks to Build Momentum at Home Against Loyola Marymount

Gonzaga enters Sunday’s matchup with the Lions of Loyola Marymount still shaking off the stink of a win that demanded far more patience and late game heroics than it should have. The Zags trailed Seattle U by as many as 12 points on Friday, drifted through much of the first half, and ultimately needed overtime to escape a game that felt lifeless for long stretches before snapping into focus late. The comeback counted, but it also extended a bruising opening run to conference play that has exposed how unsettled Gonzaga has looked in recent weeks.

That backdrop frames Sunday’s LMU’s first visit to the Kennel this season, with tipoff coming at 6:00 PM PST . Gonzaga sits at 15-1, 3-0 in WCC play, and seventh nationally, yet the past week has involved a lot more lineup tinkering than fans are used to seeing as Mark Few continues to hunt for consistent production beyond Graham Ike and Braden Huff. The Seattle finish offered a revealing tell, with Few leaning on a closing group of Ike, Huff, Tyon Grant-Foster, Braeden Smith, and Adam Miller, a veteran-heavy lineup that mirrors Gonzaga’s original starting five before midseason shuffling took hold.

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LMU arrives at 10-6 with a familiar WCC profile, stronger defensively than offensively and capable of punishing complacency, as recent narrow losses to Washington State and Saint Mary’s suggest. Gonzaga has flirted with danger often enough lately to understand the margin, though the final stretch against Seattle hinted at a version of this team that still trends upward when focus sharpens. Sunday offers less about proving status than restoring the coherence that once made Gonzaga look like the nation’s most complete team.

Meet the Lions

LMU under Stan Johnson plays a controlled, perimeter-driven game that should be familiar to longtime WCC basketball fans. The Lions attempt threes at one of the higher rates in the conference and convert them efficiently (shooting roughly 37% as a team from outside), while pairing…

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Publish date : 2026-01-04 16:06:00

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