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Gonzaga Women's Basketball

Bulldogs get surprise pep talk from high-flying Spokane native

Moments after their biggest win of the season Friday night, the Gonzaga women got a surprise pep talk from someone who already knows how to hit the heights.

“We didn’t even know she was an astronaut,” Gonzaga guard Katie Campbell said after meeting Lt Col Anne McClain, a Spokane native who’s been on three space missions.

Added Campbell: “She had a lot of wisdom for us.”

Among the pearls was some down-to-earth advice: Stay grounded even as you reach for the stars.

Indeed, the Zags – who remained at No. 17 in this week’s Associated Press poll – are on a high trajectory again this season. Their 64-52 win over No. 20 Missouri State capped an 11-1 regular season that matched last-year’s record, and also gave them a quality win to go along with a few days of quality time with family.

“Everybody could use a break,” said GU coach Lisa Fortier, whose team opens the West Coast Conference season Sunday at home against Portland. Three days later they’re off to Provo, Utah, and a chance for some payback against BYU.

However, no one was talking about that on Friday. After the game, Fortier and the players had a feeling of satisfaction with a nonconference season that couldn’t have gone much better.

Campbell said she still regrets the missed opportunity at Stanford, but took a positive tone Friday night when she talked about the win over MSU.

Said Campbell: “We had better passes from each other, better looks inside and we had better reads and better defense.”

In other words, the Zags are playing a complete game heading into the WCC season.

Statistics reveal as much. GU ranks in the top 20 in three of the most important categories: scoring defense (17th), field-goal percentage (13th) and 3-point shooting (sixth).

For the second straight year, Campbell is among the nation’s leaders. As of Monday, she ranks fifth at 50% (27 for 54).

Contact the writer:

(509) 459-5437

jima@spokesman.com