Northwest Notes Nov. 14, 2020

Gonzaga announces six nonconference home games, including Dec. 14 tilt vs. Idaho

SPOKANE — Gonzaga released its nonconference men's basketball home schedule, which includes a Dec. 14 game vs. Idaho.

Three of the opponents will be first-time meetings for GU.

Gonzaga will host Tarleton State on Dec. 8, Southern on Dec. 10, Northern Arizona on Dec. 12, Idaho on Dec. 14, Northwestern State on Dec. 21 and Dixie State on Dec. 29.

Tarleton State, led by former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, went 18-12 in their final year of Division II play last season.

Southern and GU will meet for the third time on Dec. 10. The Bulldogs won the last meeting in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City. Gonzaga cruised to a 117-72 win in Spokane in the 2010-11 season opener. Southern was 17-15 last season.

GU holds a 14-6 advantage in the all-time series with Northern Arizona. The Bulldogs won the last meeting, the 2015-16 season opener, 91-52 in Spokane. NAU went 16-14 last season, 10-10 in the Big Sky.

Idaho and Gonzaga meet for the 135th time on Dec. 14, but the first since an 80-46 GU win in Spokane in 2008. The Zags have won the last nine meetings between the programs, but Idaho holds a 70-64 edge in the all-time series. The Vandals were 8-24 last season, and 4-16 in the Big Sky Conference.

The Bulldogs and Northwestern State will meet for the first time. Northwestern State, from Natchitoches, La., was 11-9 last season in the Southland Conference and 15-15 overall.

Dixie State, once a member with North Idaho College in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, launches the transition to Division 1 status after a decade as a NCAA Division II Tournament perennial. The Trailblazers tied for first in their conference last season and finished 23-7 overall.

Game times and TV designations will be announced at a later date.

Cascade Conference announces revised basketball schedule

CORVALLIS, Ore. — The Cascade Collegiate Conference announced its revised conference basketball schedule Friday. Originally, conference play was set to begin on Dec. 4, with the CCC Council of Presidents voting earlier this week to push that date back.

The CCC conference basketball schedule is now set to start Jan. 8, 2021 and will run through March 2. Because of the reduced schedule to 18 conference games, the decision was made to eliminate the postseason tournament for this year. Automatic qualifiers for the NAIA national tournament will be determined based on regular-season action.