Rail: Gonzaga host to Pacific

Men’s hoops: Gonzaga’s busy week concludes tonight when WCC newcomer Pacific visits the McCarthey Athletic Center.

The 24th-ranked Bulldogs (13-2, 3-0) will be playing their fourth conference game in eight days. Pacific (9-4, 0-2) has dropped three of its last four, including a 72-64 setback at Portland on Thursday.

“A very experienced team and very tough, very physical, much like Saint Mary’s,” GU coach Mark Few said.

The Tigers have made just 39 percent of their shots in two WCC games, dropping their season percentage to 45.1. Gonzaga defeated Pacific 85-67 last season in Spokane.

The Bulldogs share the WCC’s top spot with Pepperdine, which was picked 10th (last) in the preseason poll.

“This team is good,” Bulldogs guard Kevin Pangos (at right in photo) said. “It’s also their first time in conference so they’re going to come out trying to make a statement. We have to be really focused for this one.”

Jim Meehan

Eagle Cap Extreme near

Sled dogs: The only Iditarod and Yukon Quest sled dog race qualifier in the lower 48 west of the Rocky Mountains is set for Jan. 22-25 in northeastern Oregon.

The 10th annual Eagle Cap Extreme sled-dogging events begin with the spectator-friendly Jan. 22 prerace veterinary checks in Enterprise and Joseph that gather all of the sled dogs for public viewing.

Racing begins Jan. 23, featuring six-dog and eight-dog races up to 100 miles as well as the 12-dog, 200-mile race, which is the Iditarod and Yukon Quest qualifier. Teams that meet the requirements can advance to the Iditarod and YQ, which cover more than 1,000 miles.

The Eagle Cap Extreme is hailed as one of only six qualifying races in the U.S. outside of Alaska. 

All three races begin at Ferguson Ridge ski hill at 1 p.m. on Jan. 23. The 200-mile finishers won’t start returning until the morning of Jan. 25.