Gonzaga-Loyola Marymount key matchup: James Batemon again the player the Zags must keep an eye on

We like to mix it up here at key matchup headquarters when Gonzaga faces a West Coast Conference rematch, but that’s not happening with Loyola Marymount.

Senior point guard James Batemon leads the Lions in nearly every statistical category, including minutes (35.1), field goals made (130), 3-pointers (35), free throws (126), scoring average (16.8), assists (93) and steals (43).

Batemon has had an up-and-down year. He had 28 points in last Saturday’s win over Portland. He went scoreless, missing all eight shots, the week before in a loss to BYU.

The Zags, led by Josh Perkins and Geno Crandall, limited Batemon to 12 points and four assists in the first meeting. Batemon is shooting just 29.9 percent behind the 3-point arc, but has hit 13 of 27, including a 0-for-3 effort against BYU, in the past five games.