One of the top regional rivalries in the Pacific Northwest showcases Washington State and Gonzaga facing off tonight.

This will be the 24th matchup between the Cougars (6-2) and GU. The Bulldogs (5-2) have won 27 consecutive regular season games at the McCarthey Athletic Center. If the Cougars are going to snap that streak it will have to be done on the defensive side of the ball.

When this Eastern Washington rivalry was played last season in Pullman, the Bulldogs came out ahead 70-62.

The Cougars plan to keep up their strong post play in Spokane on Tuesday. Senior center Shalie Dheensaw and freshman forward Louise Brown will muster the load down low for the Cougars. So far this season WSU has rebounded well which has led to transition points. Keeping opponents on their heels has been a staple of Head Coach June Daugherty’s game plan this season.

For fans of one-on-one matchups, this game will be a highlight reel. Gonzaga’s senior leader and forward Sunny Greinacher will matchup with Dheensaw. Over the 18 league games last season, Greinacher averaged 10.9 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 48.7 percent (75-of-154) from the field.

We will see who ate their Wheaties Tuesday morning as the key in this game will be a slugfest with only the strongest winning the battle. The footwork of these two players is second to none and both will be the X-factor in the game.

The dynamic scoring duo of senior guard Tia Presley and junior guard Lia Galdeira has only defeated GU one time in their career at Washington State. This game will be big for the seniors, especially Presley. Presley, a native of Spokane, will have her whole family at the game. This game has a chance to be one of the premiere moments of her senior year.

“Tia has gone from the point guard to the off-guard and although she’s looking for scoring opportunities, she’s also distributing and setting her teammates up,” Daugherty said. “She’s improved her game all around and is just a great team player.”

This rivalry does feature a new face. First-year Bulldogs Head Coach Lisa Fortier will see first-hand the competitiveness these teams have with each other. Second half cold streaks have plagued the Bulldogs this season.

“We want to come out the second half and play well,” Fortier said. “We want to play the last 20 minutes the best that we can play.”

The game is set to begin at 6 p.m. in Spokane and can be seen at gozags.com.

Reporting by Ian Korzeniecki