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Gonzaga Women's Basketball

GU women headed to Corvallis for NCAAs

Ending one of the longest weeks any of them could remember, the Gonzaga women’s basketball players erupted with a roar Monday when the Zags finally came up on the NCAA tournament-selection board as a No. 11 seed in the Spokane Region to play Friday in Corvallis, Oregon, against No. 6 seed George Washington. The Bulldogs (24-7) had to wait for an at-large bid after BYU upset them March 9 in the semifinal game of the West Coast Conference tournament. The team kept the selection private but players came out for interviews once the Zags were selected. “It was a long wait,” coach Lisa Fortier said. “We literally were one of the last four teams called out. It was pretty nerve wracking, but the players are very excited.” Junior guard Georgia Stirton said she was sitting next to 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman Emma Wolfram and 6-5 junior center Shelby Cheslek when the Gonzaga name finally lit up. All the players jumped up and Wolfram smacked Stirton in the face. “I thought she broke my nose,” the 5-8 Stirton said laughing. “At their height, their elbows are at my face level. They both stood up and banged in my face.” Athletic director Mike Roth said the team reacted so quickly to seeing its name that it took several moments for the players to realize they had been selected to play No. 19-ranked and sixth-seeded George Washington (29-3), which won the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles. “We can forget the last seven days and the squirming,” Roth said. “It was one of the biggest roars we’ve had, men’s or women’s. And we’ve had lots of those moments on both sides.” The at-large bid makes seven consecutive seasons, and eight of the last nine, that Gonzaga has made the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs are 8-7 all-time in the tournament and have a 5-2 record as an 11 seed. However, the Zags got bounced in the first round last year as a No. 6 seed by No. 11 James Madison. “It shows us that seeding doesn’t matter,” senior forward Sunny Greinacher said. “You can beat anybody. That’s the beauty of March Madness.” Despite the No. 11 seed, Gonzaga couldn’t have asked for a better location. Roth said he expects most of the players’ families and several fans will make the trip to Corvallis. And if the team can find a way to beat George Washington, GU would then play the winner of No. 14 seed South Dakota State (24-8) and No. 3 seed Oregon State (26-4). That winner would travel to Spokane for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 on March 28 and 30 at the Arena. The top four seeds in the Spokane Region are Maryland, Tennessee, Oregon State and Duke. “That’s always added motivation,” Fortier said. “Spokane fans come out like mad for us. If we manage a couple wins we would play at home.” The Colonials, based in the nation’s capital, and Gonzaga both beat Dayton and Saint Mary’s. But GU lost to common foe American 59-56 while GW beat the Eagles 63-52. “We are just going to rock it no matter what,” senior wing Lindsay Sherbert said. “But it will be great to have family and fans there.” The game will almost be a homecoming for junior guard Elle Tinkle. Her parents moved to Corvallis from Missoula after her father, Wayne Tinkle, took over the men’s basketball program for Oregon State. “I told Mom to get the barbecue ready in case we have the team over,” Tinkle said. Fortier said once the team was selected into the tournament, the players can throw out the seedings. “You are all equal this time of year,” she said. “It’s just who plays the best and the hardest at game time. For us, it’s Friday.”