Dave Trimmer

Brenden Kichton seems to smile a lot. Of course, with the season he produced for the Spokane Chiefs, there’s no reason for the 18-year-old defenseman not to smile.

Brenden Kichton seems to smile a lot. Of course, with the season he produced for the Spokane Chiefs, there’s no reason the 18-year old defenseman not to smile.

Courtney Vandersloot achieved another milestone on Tuesday, becoming the first Gonzaga and West Coast Conference women’s basketball player to earn Associated Press second-team All-American honors.

Stanford was still reveling in its 83-60 victory that ended the greatest season in Gonzaga women’s basketball history Monday night when the inevitable question was posed to Kelly Graves. With the University of Washington looking for a women’s basketball coach would the Bulldogs coach be back to try to build on a 31-5 season that ended with a third straight trip to the NCAA tournament and first trip to the Elite Eight?

The Courtney Vandersloot era ended with a standing ovation, a wry smile and a wave to the 11,646 fans who filled the Arena on Monday night hoping for so much more. Despite a heroic effort from the superstar point guard, Gonzaga, the lowest seed to ever make an Elite Eight, was no match for Stanford’s size. The top-seeded Cardinal laid an 83-60 whipping on the 11th-seeded Bulldogs in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Spokane Regional final.

The Courtney Vandersloot era ended with a standing ovation, a wry smile and a wave to the 11,646 fans who filled the Arena on Monday night hoping for so much more. Despite a heroic effort from the superstar point guard, Gonzaga, the lowest seed to ever make an Elite Eight, was no match for Stanford’s size. The top-seeded Cardinal laid an 83-60 whipping on the 11th-seeded Bulldogs in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Spokane Regional final.

It’s a credit to Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves that he can tell a tale so well his team understands what he’s talking about even if they don’t know what he’s talking about. On the 10th anniversary of Jackie Stiles leading Southwest Missouri State to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Final Four via the Spokane Regional, Graves thought, “Why not us?”

The faces haven’t changed but the teams have. Though Stanford and Gonzaga played four months ago, the teams that square off tonight for a berth in the Final Four of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament bear little resemblance to the teams that put on a great show Nov. 21.

They are Elite. The magical season for the Gonzaga women’s basketball team continued Saturday night – to the delight of 10,717 fans at the Spokane Arena – as the Bulldogs earned a spot in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament with a hard-fought 76-69 win over Louisville.

Louisville’s chances took a hit before the starting lineups were even announced for the Cardinals’ Sweet 16 matchup against Gonzaga at the Arena Saturday night. That wasn’t clear until 90 seconds into the game when leading scorer and rebounder Monique Reid limped to the bench.

Louisville has been through the Big East wars and just produced what is probably the biggest upset of the opening weekend of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. The Cardinals believe that is just what they needed for the task at hand, which is slow down high-octane Gonzaga before a hostile crowd in their Sweet 16 matchup tonight in the Arena.

Like the pitcher in baseball and the quarterback in football, everything starts with the point guard in basketball. That’s why the Arena is the place to be tonight for the Sweet 16 round in the Spokane Regional of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

The longest pause in Gonzaga’s game with UCLA in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on Monday came when Bulldogs forward Kelly Bowen got whacked in the nose. While she sat on the bench as trainer Peter Clark tried to get the blood stopped, the officials automatically checked the replay monitor for assurance there was not a flagrant foul, which is a point of emphasis this season.

Kelly Bowen has the ability to guard a power forward to a high-scoring guard, versatility the Gonzaga Bulldogs (30-4) are going to need when they face seventh-seeded Louisville (22-12) Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Sweet 16 at the Arena.

If you think the Gonzaga players are glad they don’t have to play Xavier in their next NCAA basketball tournament game, you’re right. But if you think that means the Bulldogs will have an easier time against Louisville in the Sweet 16 game at the Arena Saturday night, think again.

His last start was a shutout and his goals-against-average is second best in the Western Hockey League, but that might not be enough to get Mac Engel the start when the Western Hockey League playoffs start Friday. That’s not a bad thing for the Spokane Chiefs because the other choice is James Reid, who is fourth in the league in GAA and holds the franchise record for wins.

Courtney Vandersloot gave a raucous crowd at the McCarthey Athletic Center what it wanted Monday night, making history with her 2,000th career point to go with her 1,000 assists. Gonzaga’s superstar got what she wanted, a cherry on the top.

Gonzaga ran right past UCLA straight to the Spokane Arena on Monday night. The 11th-seeded Bulldogs shredded the vaunted defense of the third-seeded Bruins for an 89-75 win in the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament at the McCarthey Athletic Center to reach the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

Gonzaga ran right past UCLA straight to the Spokane Arena on Monday night. The 11th-seeded Bulldogs shredded the vaunted defense of the third-seeded Bruins for an 89-75 win in the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament at the McCarthey Athletic Center to reach the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.