Alec Wintering, Jazz Johnson lead Portland

The No. 4 Gonzaga Bulldogs host the Portland Pilots on Saturday at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane.

The defensive priority doesn’t seem to change much for the Zags, who face another talented backcourt in Portland’s Alec Wintering and Jazz Johnson. The duo ranks ninth nationally in backcourt scoring and should keep Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss, Josh Perkins, Jordan Mathews and Silas Melson busy.

The Pilots rely on their guard line but All-WCC performer Wintering has struggled of late. The senior point guard is just 12 of 47 from the field, including 1 of 4 on 3-pointers, in the last four games. He has 14 assists, well below his 5.8 per-game average, and 18 turnovers in that span.

Shooting guard Johnson has been steady all season. He averages 16.9 points and ranks among the conference’s top shooters at 47.2 percent from distance.