Gonzaga women beat San Diego 73-61, clinch at least share of WCC championship
That championship feeling is back for the Gonzaga women.
Overcoming the pressure of a tight West Coast Conference race and full-court pressure from San Diego, the 18th-ranked Zags prevailed 73-61 on Thursday night to clinch at least a share of the conference title.
That title seemed improbable in December, when Gonzaga was regularly competing with just eight players in uniform.
“It’s been a grinder,” GU head coach Lisa Fortier said. “We battled and rallied every day, and I think they should be really proud of themselves.”
The title, Gonzaga’s 16th in the past 18 seasons, was earned with grit as much as talent, Fortier said.
After falling a game short to BYU last season and playing shorthanded for most of this one, Gonzaga has still managed to go 16-1 in the WCC and 26-3 overall with one game left.
“I’m really proud for them for their success, for their resilience that they’ve shown, for the toughness that they’ve shown, Fortier said. “I’m proud that they’re good in basketball, but I’m more proud of all the other parts and what they’ve gone through.”
Gonzaga could have won the WCC outright had second-place Portland lost at BYU on Thursday, but that game was postponed to Monday after the Pilots’ flight to Utah was grounded by snowstorms.
GU needs just a win on Saturday or one loss by Portland to finish alone in first place. Tipoff at BYU is at 1 p.m.
On Thursday, the Zags not only got the win, but they regained the services of point guard Kayleigh Truong. After three months of healing from a foot injury, Truong played 14 minutes and scored six points.
“I feel really good, just a little bit tired and winded, but it felt good to be back on the floor with the team,” Truong said. “It was a long time coming for me, I’m just glad to be back with the team.”
Even with a healthy squad, the game wasn’t easy.
Just as they did two months ago in Spokane, the third-place Toreros (16-12, 10-7) took the Zags into the fourth quarter before fading.
Gonzaga struggled at times against the San Diego press, notably when an early 5-0 lead turned into a 7-5 deficit after two quick turnovers.
Gonzaga led 38-32 at halftime thanks mostly to some accurate 3-point shooting. The Zags were 6 for 12 from beyond the arc while the Toreros were 2 for 4.
GU led 49-43 going into the fourth quarter despite missing 10 of 14 shots in the third.
Yvonne Ejim opened the fourth quarter with a driving layin.
She missed the resulting free throw, but GU kept possession and Brynna Maxwell hit a jumper to give GU its biggest lead (53-45) to that point.
The Zags led by as many as 18 points late in the fourth quarter.
Maxwell and Kaylynne Truong scored 14 points apiece for the Zags, who also got 12 from Ejim and 10 from Eliza Hollingsworth.
Ejim also had a game-high 11 rebounds to help GU prevail 38-32 on the boards.
The Zags shot well: 51% overall and even better from outside the arc: 11 for 18 (61%).
San Diego was held to 36% from the field and made just 3 of 14 outside shots.