Gonzaga's winning streaks have encountered numerous challenges over the years, but Pepperdine gave the Zags their toughest test last season at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga outlasted the 23-point underdogs 75-70, as 6-foot-10 forward Killian Tillie’s blocked on a potential game-tying 3-pointer by Waves standout point Colbey Ross in the closing seconds.

Hello, it’s early January and Gonzaga is preparing to play its first road game of the season. Yes that’s odd, but it seems to fit the unusual tenor of a season being staged in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gonzaga has ruled the series against San Francisco, but the scoreboard hasn’t always told the entire story.

Both teams would have preferred a few dress rehearsals, as Kansas coach Bill Self put it, but everyone involved in the Thanksgiving Day contest is just thankful to be playing with the pandemic rewriting schedules across the country.

Quarterback Tyler Slough will lead the No. 11 Oregon Ducks into Pullman where the Washington State Cougars will be waiting. – Pac-12 Networks

But first things first. Gonzaga (28-2, 14-1 West Coast Conference) wants to put a bow on a stellar regular season with a win over the Gaels (24-6, 11-4) in the last home game for seniors Killian Tillie, Admon Gilder and Ryan Woolridge.

Gonzaga has lost only 21 games since the beginning of the 2016 season. Throw out four season-ending defeats in the NCAA Tournament and the Zags have followed up 17 losses with a 16-1 record, including a 7-0 mark in 2016.

There are road games and then there are road games in settings that the visiting head coach calls “electric” and home head coach predicts will be “sheer insanity.”

Twelve games in, Gonzaga’s 83-79 win over San Francisco earlier this month remains the Zags’ toughest WCC contest thus far.

Gonzaga doesn’t lack for motivation entering its final five regular-season games. The biggest source arrived last Saturday when the NCAA Tournament selection committee projected the Zags over San Diego State as the top seed in the West.

Every team has goals, and for the Gonzaga women a West Coast Conference regular-season championship is always at the top of the list. The Zags are almost ready to check that box.

Game one between WSU (13-10, 4-6) and UW (12-11, 2-8) takes place at 3 p.m. Sunday (ESPNU) at Beasley Coliseum. The Cougars will put George Raveling’s name in the rafters during a halftime celebration for the Hall of Fame coach.

The not-so-good times in Zagville: A third meeting, when Saint Mary’s stunned then No. 1 Gonzaga 60-47 for the WCC Tournament title and earn an unexpected spot in the NCAA Tournament.

So here comes another game before a big game. Loyola Marymount visits the McCarthey Athletic Center on Thursday before the Zags fly to the Bay Area for the second straight week for Saturday’s showdown with Saint Mary’s.

It's hardly a surprise Golden’s playbook and approach in his first season closely mimics Smith’s.

In other words, it’s the same scenario as last year, when BYU came into the Kennel and blew it all up.

Yes and no. The Zags (21-1, 7-0 WCC) have owned the series with 20 straight wins, but they’ve had several close calls at the Leavey Center, site of Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. matchup. There was a 12-point win in the 2015 season, a 79-77 nailbiter the ensuing year and a 75-60 decision in 2018.

Petrusev will be game-day decision against visiting Pacific on Saturday. The Zags’ leading scorer and rebounder wasn’t on the practice floor much this week, spending the majority of his time getting treatment and rehabbing his ankle.