Dave Trimmer

Too close to call? That's the way the coaches see the West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament that starts today at McCarthey Athletic Center.

Jamie Bjorklund is the first Gonzaga University player in 13 years, and just the fifth overall, to be named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman team. The WCC announced its honorees Monday, and two Bulldogs, Ashley Anderson and Stephanie Hawk, were named to the all-conference team.

Mike Burns wanted to make one thing perfectly clear – the only way to play any game, any sport, any time, is to win. That said, Burns and his Eastern Washington men's basketball team face a strange game tonight at Idaho State.

Gonzaga picked the prime-time spot in the first round of the West Coast Conference Sunday and will play the last of four games Thursday night at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs (16-13 overall, 11-3 WCC) play San Francisco (8-19, 4-10) at approximately 8:15.

Eastern Washington followed its worst half of the basketball season with its best and turned that into an 87-53 Senior Night statement win over Montana State at Reese Court on Saturday. After getting drilled by Montana on Thursday – outscored 48-20 in the second half – the Eagles pounded the Bobcats from the start, opening a 10-point lead just 5 minutes into the game and making it 20 by halftime.

Felice Moore's education at Eastern Washington University has done more than prepare her to be an elementary school teacher. "I learned I'm a tough person; a tough competitor. I hate to lose. I have heart," said Moore, a senior on the women's basketball team. "I knew I was tough but I've been in situations where it's tough and you have to push through it or quit. I pushed through it."

The Gonzaga women may not defend their West Coast Conference regular-season title, but the Bulldogs proved Thursday night they can get what they want. Two weeks before the WCC Tournament tips off at McCarthey Athletic Center, the Bulldogs knocked Loyola Marymount out of the conference lead with an unsightly 53-43 win, their 17th straight home win in WCC play.

After Eastern Washington ran its winning streak to three with an overtime win over Portland State Saturday night, Eagles men's basketball coach Mike Burns was asked about the two road games coming up. But to Burns and the Eagles there is only one game that matters, tonight's 6:05 Big Sky Conference matchup at Weber State. A trip to Cal State Fullerton on Saturday for a Bracket Buster-produced, non-conference matchup isn't on the radar.

Watch any college women's basketball on television, and you can't help but be amazed with the likes of North Carolina's Ivory Latta, Rutgers' Cappie Pondexter, Duke's Lindsey Harding, Tennessee's Alexis Hornbuckle or UCLA's Nikki Blue. Add Idaho's Leilani Mitchell to that list of point guards.

Mike Burns wasn't real happy with his team, but in the big picture he was delighted. Eastern Washington struggled on offense for the first 40 minutes against the last-place team in the Big Sky Conference, then poured in 17 in overtime to defeat Portland State 72-64 Saturday night at Reese Court.

It isn't big news anymore when Eastern Washington freshman phenom Rodney Stuckey has a weekend with 55 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three blocked shots and two steals. More impressive is that the Eagles got contributions across the board in a pair 12-point Big Sky Conference wins against first-division teams at Reece Court. That included ending the longest winning streak in Division I with a 73-61 win over league-leading Northern Arizona.

With gritty defense and clutch offense, Eastern Washington ended the nation's longest men's basketball winning streak by defeating Northern Arizona 73-61 before 2,895 raucous fans Saturday night at Reese Court. NAU (16-7, 8-1) had won 10 straight, including eight in the Big Sky Conference. The first conference win was a 105-95 shootout over the Eagles when freshman sensation Rodney Stuckey poured in 45 points. This time EWU (10-12, 5-4) tightened up the defense and only needed 28 points from Stuckey.

The team that couldn't shoot, couldn't help Rodney Stuckey and couldn't finish did all of that Thursday night and the result was impressive. Eastern Washington put four players in double figures, hit 16 of 17 free throws in the second half and, after blowing a 10-point lead, recovered to pull away for an 87-75 men's basketball win over Sacramento State before 2,330 fans at Reese Court.

The confidence Paul Wulff has in his Eastern Washington football program is reflected in the Eagles' 2006 recruiting class. Of the 20 players who signed a letter of intent on Wednesday, 19 are high school seniors, despite the need to fill two key positions from the team that made school history last season.

They haven't always played like defending champions this season, but the Gonzaga women's basketball team reached the halfway point of the West Coast Conference season with a chance to defend its title. Despite a 10-12 overall record, the Bulldogs improved to 5-2 in the WCC by defeating Portland 67-60 before a season-high crowd of 2,582 Sunday afternoon at the McCarthey Athletic Center.