Zags game with Baylor cancelled over positive COVID tests

Indianapolis, Indiana  – One of the most-anticipated college basketball games of the young season will not be played Saturday morning, as Gonzaga reports two positive COVID-10 tests within the program.

The top-ranked Zags were scheduled to play #2 Baylor in Indianapolis.

Saturday morning, the teams issued this joint statement:

Following surveillance testing for COVID-19, one student-athlete and one non-student-athlete of the Gonzaga men’s basketball travel party produced positive results. The student-athlete did not play in Wednesday’s game against West Virginia. In consultation with the Indiana State Health Commissioner, the Marion County Public Health Director, and both team physicians, Gonzaga and Baylor have mutually agreed today’s game will not be played. Both teams have agreed to attempt to reschedule the game at a later date.”

Gonzaga already had positive tests within the program last week, but Florida health officials allowed them to play on.

Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few and Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew sent out this statement as well:

“We’re disappointed to not be able to play one of the most-anticipated games of the season, but we are following the advice of public health officials. When we decided to play during a pandemic, our priorities were protecting the health and safety of student-athletes and following public health guidelines, and we’re proud of how both programs have held true to those promises. There are much greater issues in this world than not being able to play a basketball game, so we’re going to continue praying for everyone who has been affected by this pandemic.”

COVID has hit college basketball hard already this season. Saturday’s WSU game against Colorado was cancelled as well.

COPYRIGHT 2022 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.