GU women answer challenge

CORVALLIS, Ore. – What pressure?

With a double-digit lead going, going and finally gone with 3½ minutes to play and the Gill Coliseum crowd in full roar, the Gonzaga women did more than weather the storm Sunday.

They rose above it, stilled the Oregon State offense and made every big play down the stretch in their 76-64 win over the Beavers in a second-round NCAA tournament game.

In a game of big runs, the last one went Gonzaga’s way, decisively but inexplicably. The whys are manifold, much like the Zags themselves.

“It was our whole team,” coach Lisa Fortier said. “We kept answering.”

While Jamie Weisner scored a game-high 24 points and almost single-handedly willed the Beavers back from the brink, almost every Zag made a contribution to the 12-0 run that closed out the game.

After Weisner’s 3-pointer tied the game at 64 with 3:27 left, Sunny Greinacher hit a pressure-packed jumper and Elle Tinkle grabbed an offensive rebound that led to the biggest play of the game.

Keani Albanez drove the baseline beat the shot clock in a call that it had to be reviewed. That took some time and perhaps dulled OSU’s momentum. Indeed, OSU coach Scott Rueck acknowledged that “We didn’t respond, and a little doubt crept in.”

Sure enough, OSU’s Gabriella Hanson missed an easy layup at the other end and Georgia Stirton hit one free throw to push the lead to 69-64 with 1:02 to play. She missed the second, but Tinkle got the Zags’ 15th offensive board of the game and made another free throw.

Meanwhile, the Zags took the energy of 5,071 mostly OSU fans and transformed it.

“At home, we’re used to having big crowds cheering for us, so it actually gave us more energy, knowing that they’re yelling with every call that they don’t like,” said center Emma Wolfram.

Third-seeded OSU felt the pressure again on its next trip downcourt, as center Ruth Hamblin coughed up the ball, Albanez picked it up and gave the Zags a 72-64 lead with a pair of foul shots at 48 seconds.

“They kept coming at us, that’s what they do,” said Rueck, whose team won the Pac-12 regular-season title but didn’t have what it takes in a one-and-done situation.

In contrast, the Zags had a been-there, done-that attitude borne of past NCAA experience, which Greinacher said “helps us to remain calm at the end, and just execute.”

Another reason: depth, which shouldn’t be Gonzaga’s strong suit against a Pac-12 foe. But nine different Zags played at least 9 minutes, and every one made a contribution as GU outscored OSU’s bench 27-2. Shaniqua Nilles brought fresh energy and a pair of steals, Emma Stach hit two early field goals and Wolfram had a career night with 17 points and four boards.

“Great depth, that was one of the biggest things that helped us,” Fortier said.

As Rueck observed, “They’re feisty, they were strong (inside) and they have lot of versatility … very strong and very active.”

In fact, Rueck offered a further tip of the hat to a team that appeared to be on the bubble on Selection Monday, but is the lowest seed still alive in the tournament.

“That team looks better than an 11 to me, they’re good – thanks a lot, NCAA,” Rueck said.