In its run to the national title game last season, Gonzaga found a strength not normally associated with Zags basketball: defense.
The Bulldogs, long known for their offensive prowess, were No. 1 in defensive efficiency, according to various advanced mathematical ratings systems.
This season's Zags are starting to look like last season's.
In a Thursday night rout of lowly Loyola Marymount, all five Gonzaga starters scored before the Lions got their first points.
On Saturday in Spokane, Wash., the No. 9 Bulldogs host last-place Pepperdine, a team they beat 89-59 last month in Malibu, Calif.