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Gonzaga Women's Basketball

Gonzaga women move up to No. 22 in AP Top 25, despite loss at No. 2 Stanford

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Eliza Hollingsworth (12) shoots the ball against Long Beach State 49ers guard Malia Bambrick (1) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center on Thurs. Nov. 11, 2022 in Spokane WA.  (James Snook/For The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Allen For The Spokesman-Review

Despite losing at Stanford on Sunday, the Gonzaga women’s basketball team moved up one spot, to 22nd, in this week’s Associated Press poll released Monday.

It’s been a challenging week for the Zags.

Hitting the road last week with only eight healthy players, Gonzaga beat a solid Stephen F. Austin squad. 71-59.

Down to seven players on Sunday, the Zags played No. 2 Stanford almost evenly in the first half before the Cardinal pulled away in the second.

Unranked before the season began, the Zags (7-2) rejoined the rankings after an 18-month absence last week after a strong performance in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

GU received 106 overall votes, just behind Arkansas’ 121 and in front of Oklahoma, which had 99.

Defending NCAA champion South Carolina is a unanimous pick atop the poll. Ranked behind Stanford are Ohio State, Indiana and Notre Dame.

The Zags also rank high in several major statistical areas this week, especially free-throw shooting. As a team, GU ranks third in Division 1 with 82.8% (119 out of 144), while guard Brynna Maxwell is seventh in the individual ranking at 96% (29 out of 30).

Maxwell also ranks 14th nationally in 3-point shooting, hitting 52.7% (22 of 42).

As a team, the Bulldogs are shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc, which ranks 12th in the nation and first in the WCC.