Key matchup: It’ll be young versus old in PG battle between Gonzaga’s Mario Saint-Supery, UCLA’s Donovan Dent

SEATTLE – If Gonzaga’s history against UCLA tells us anything, it’s that the victor will probably need contributions from a handful of candidates at different spots and perhaps some timely magic from a single player willing to rise to the occasion in the second half.

If the eighth-ranked Zags and 25th-ranked Bruins find themselves tangled up in another close game Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena (8:30 p.m., ESPN), there’s a good chance the lead guards will have a say in how things play out down the stretch, even if they aren’t hoisting the final shot.

The way Mario Saint-Supery’s shooting of late, Gonzaga’s rising freshman wouldn’t be be a bad candidate for that role, too.

UCLA’s Donovan Dent hasn’t been connecting at the same clip he did last year, but the Bruins probably want the New Mexico transfer involved in some form or fashion if it comes down to a final possession Saturday night between two West Coast hoops heavyweights.

At a point of the offseason when national pundits were moving Dent’s name to the top of “best available” transfer target lists, virtually nobody in the college basketball ecosystem knew about Saint-Supery, outside of a small group of scouts/analysts plugged in with international basketball trends and even smaller group of Gonzaga fans who keep up with the program’s recruiting efforts.

Dent’s counting numbers (12.4 points, 6.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds) look slightly better than Saint-Supery’s (8.8 points, 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds) through six weeks, largely because the Bruins are relying on the 2025 AP All-American Honorable Mention to play 32.8 minutes per game. The Zags, meanwhile, have two quality options at point guard and usually aren’t at risk of losing ground when Braeden Smith replaces Saint-Supery (21.7 mpg).

Saint-Supery has been on point for Gonzaga, leading Mark Few’s team at 53.6% from distance while taking 15 more 3-point attempts than his UCLA counterpart. The Malaga, Spain, native has averaged 6.3 assists and only 1.8 turnovers since joining the starting lineup against Southern Utah.

“Obviously we’re going to face every team the same way, we’re going to go 100% always but playing against those historic colleges (like UCLA and Kentucky) is something amazing,” Saint-Supery said. “It makes me even more excited.”

Dent has been off-target for UCLA, making just 1 of 13 (7.7%) from the 3-point line this season after hitting 40.9% for the Lobos in 2024-25. He hasn’t made a 3 since the season opener against Eastern Washington, but accounted for 30 points and 11 assists in Big Ten wins over Washington and Oregon.

“In college, it’s physical and that’s what people try to do is beat (Dent) up,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “That’s the game plan, everybody has the same game plan. … But we’re 2-0 in the Big Ten, he had two really good games, led us to victory. His leadership, I think he’s only going to keep getting better. He’s just got to keep working in practice, giving me what I need from him in practice and he’ll continue to improve.”

Dent’s a lightning-quick guard with an impressive first step, elite dribbling skills and solid ability to finish around the basket. He’s been impacted by abdomen and lower-body injuries this season, but should be at full strength Saturday according to Cronin.

Saint-Supery will look to get Dent out of his comfort zone Saturday and perhaps dare him to shoot from the 3-point line – one of the lowest-percentage shots the Bruins can take right now. On the other end, Dent may try to use his footspeed to get around Saint-Supery or bait him into foul trouble – something that came into play for the guard early against Kentucky.