Gonzaga women, ranked No. 17, head to Wyoming

For the second year in a row, the Gonzaga women are flying high in nonconference play.

After Saturday’s lopsided win over Texas Southern, the Zags are ranked No. 17 in this week’s Associated Press poll.

However, they’ll be in rarefied air of a different kind Tuesday night in Laramie, Wyoming: elevation 7,165 feet.

“I know all about it,” GU coach Lisa Fortier said after the Zags beat TSU to improve to 9-1. “They even have these signs everywhere to remind you of the elevation.”

Those placards are more intimidating than helpful, but the Zags were already thinking ahead to a challenging week that also includes a home game Friday night against No. 20 Missouri State.

“Everyone’s going to start hydrating and we’re going to do the best we can,” junior forward LeeAnne Wirth said after 14-point, eight-rebound effort against TSU.

Quality depth will be the key, said Fortier, who noted that no one played more than 24 minutes against Texas Southern.

“That means we probably won’t have many players leading the scoring charts, but it means we’re winning,” Fortier said.

Who expects the rotations to be somewhat shorter in Laramie, a situation comparable to Provo, Utah, where the BYU campus sits at 4,551 feet.

It’s unclear whether those rotations will be affected by a minor injury to junior wing Jill Townsend, whose right thumb and wrist were taped before Saturday’s game.

After scoring 6 points in the first quarter, Townsend was taken out of the game in the third after falling to the court. The move was precautionary, Fortier said after the game.

Wyoming is 6-4 after a 46-44 home loss Sunday to Northern Colorado of the Big Sky Conference. The Cowgirls are already 2-0 in the Mountain West with road wins over Air Force and New Mexico.

They also own a home win over Saint Mary’s, 69-67 on Nov. 10. However, they followed with three straight losses, to Denver, Colorado, and South Dakota State, the last by a score of 67-40.

Wyoming returns seven letter-winners and two starters from last season’s squad that finished 25-9 overall with a 13-5 mark in the Mountain West. That team advanced to the quarterfinals of the WNIT.

Senior forward Taylor Rusk is poised to be Wyoming’s next 1,000-point scorer. She has 76 points to go.

The programs last met in December 2015, with GU taking a 61-57 overtime win.