Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s key matchup: Drew Timme, Matthias Tass tangle inside
We went with the Tommy Kuhse-Jalen Suggs matchup for the first Saint Mary’s-Gonzaga meeting, so we’re switching it up for Thursday’s rematch at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
We’re going big. Gonzaga sophomore forward Drew Timme has been on such a roll, a “being in the zone” description doesn’t quite seem adequate. After torching San Francisco for 28 points on Saturday, Timme is averaging 21.8 points on 72.5% shooting over the past six games.
Saint Mary’s 6-foot-10, 245-pound junior post Matthias Tass enters on a hot streak, too. He posted a season-high 18 points against Loyola Marymount and 17 versus Pepperdine in two of his past three outings. Those three games stretched over a 23-day span due to COVID-19 interruptions.
Timme had 14 points in GU’s win over the Gaels on Jan. 16 – his lowest total in the past nine games – but he was wildly efficient (5 of 6 field goals, 4 of 5 free throws, eight rebounds and three blocks). Tass was close to his averages of 10.7 points and 5.1 boards with nine and four. He’s second on the team with 30 assists.
It should be an interesting matchup inside to see if Tass can deal with Timme’s creative post moves.