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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga, Ohio State get stay-and-play package in Boise

Gonzaga Players Jessie Wade, Joel Ayayi and Killian Tillie enter the Taco Bell Arena, Wednesday, March 14, 2018, for the NCAAFirst Round in Boise, Idaho. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

BOISE – Gonzaga and Ohio State can’t seem to get away from each other.

The teams, who played in the PK80 Invitational in November with the Zags winning 86-59, are staying at The Grove Hotel in downtown Boise. It’s rare for that to happen at an NCAA Tournament.

The highest-seeded team, No. 4 Gonzaga in this case, typically gets the more favorable accommodations at a tourney site, but an NCAA mix-up resulted in both being at the same location.

“It was too late (to change) when the arrangements were made Sunday night so it was fine,” GU athletic director Mike Roth said. “I rode down the elevator after I got done working out with (OSU coach) Chris Holtmann.”

The teams were on different schedules for Thursday openers so there’s been little interaction between the players. Buckeyes forward Jae’Shawn Tate wasn’t aware the Zags were at the same hotel.

“We’ve seen a few coaches walking around, but I haven’t seen any of their players on the elevator,” Gonzaga freshman Corey Kispert said. “It probably wouldn’t be a very comfortable elevator ride. I don’t think any words would be said.”