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Gonzaga Women's Basketball

GU women to face 6 NCAA teams in nonconference schedule

Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier, center, talks to her team during the first half of a college basketball game against Belmont in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (Associated Press)
By Jim Allen jima@spokesman.com

The Gonzaga women will face six teams that were part of the 2021 NCAA Tournament as part of a nonconference schedule announced Friday afternoon.

At the top of that list is defending NCAA champion Stanford, which will visit Spokane on Nov. 21.

The Zags, 20-3 last year, are also set to participate in the Rainbow Wahine Showcase on Nov. 26-28 in Honolulu, against Utah, Eastern Illinois and Hawaii.

The non-conference schedule includes 5 games at McCarthey Athletic Center, following an exhibition matchup against Central Washington on Nov. 6.

The regular season opens on Nov. 11, when the Zags host Montana State on Nov. 11 before traveling to another Big Sky Conference foe, Montana on Nov. 14.

GU returns home for a Dec. 18 matchup against Idaho State, a team that advanced to post-season play last season.

The Bulldogs will then host Stanford on Nov. 21 in the 12th meeting between the programs.

After returning from Hawaii, the Bulldogs host Wyoming (Dec. 3) , Washington State (Dec. 8) and Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 12).

All three programs made the NCAAs last season.

Gonzaga holds a 6-1 record against Wyoming, including an 89-50 romp at Laramie last December.

GU is on a four-game winning streak against WSU, with the series going back to 1984. The last time the two faced off in McCarthey was in 2019, when the Bulldogs won 76-53.

The matchup against Stephen F. Austin marks the first time the two teams have met in program history.

GU closes nonconference play Dec. 18 at UC Davis and three days later at Eastern Washington.

EWU’s new coach is Joddie Gleason, who coached GU’s Lisa Fortier at Cal State Monterey Bay.

The Bulldogs currently have a 16-game winning streak and hold a 34-13 record against the Eagles in series that dates back to 1982.

The Zags open West Coast Conference play Dec. 30 at home against San Francisco.