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Gonzaga Basketball

Francis Alonso leads UNC Greensboro’s offense

UNC Greensboro guard Francis Alonso drives against East Tennessee State guard Desonta Bradford in the Southern Conference Tournament championship. (Kathy Kmonicek / Associated Press)

Gonzaga should be familiar with this by now after touring the West Coast Conference’s collection of quality guards. Next up: UNC Greensboro’s Francis Alonso.

The 6-foot-3 junior is a combination guard, capable of drilling 3-pointers and handling the ball and creating for himself and teammates. Alonso carries the offense with his 15.6 scoring average, 110 3-pointers and three assists per game. He is the Spartans’ first option and he’s been adept at helping teammates get into the scoring column.

The Zags will probably rely on defensive stopper Silas Melson, who typically draws the assignment on the opponent’s best perimeter player. Putting Melson on Alonso allows point guard Josh Perkins to line up against counterpart Demetrius Troy, who has become more of a scoring threat over the last half of the season.