Allie Turner ties 3-point record as Gonzaga women close in on WCC title with 75-67 win over Saint Mary’s

Allie Turner is back, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Gonzaga’s sophomore sharpshooter went off for a career-high 29 points and tied a record for most 3-pointers to lead the Zags to a 75-68 win over the Saint Mary’s Gaels in a West Coast Conference game Thursday before 5,231 in the Bulldogs’ final home game at McCarthey Athletic Center.

The victory secured for Gonzaga no worse than a second seed and triple-bye into the WCC Tournament. The Zags remained tied for first with Loyola Marymount, which topped San Francisco 66-57.

It’s been an up-and-down season at times for Turner, who has been the target of many WCC team’s defensive strategy.

“Teams in the conference have defended me differently than they did (last year),” Turner said. “And they’ve been really keyed on me. This game they weren’t as keyed in and everyone had those shots. It seemed like everyone was getting their shots so it was working.”

Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier has never been concerned about Turner.

“Some days you make them, some days you don’t,” Fortier said. “When she wasn’t making as many of them we just talked about what are you doing? Are you getting in here at 6 o’clock in the morning like you always do. Yes. Are you shooting the ones that are open. Yes. Are you forcing them? No. OK. Then it’s going to be fine.”

Turner made 9 of 14 from 3-point range and all four in the second half, tying the most made set by Michelle (Elliott) Clark in the 2007-08 season.

The Zags, who improved to 22-8 overall and 14-3 in the WCC, needed the nine extra points provided by Turner’s 3-pointers.

Saint Mary’s (15-15, 6-11) and Gonzaga had yet to play this season under the WCC’s new unbalanced schedule. For a while it seemed as if the teams were checking each other out.

The Gaels cut into the Zags’ 36-29 halftime lead by taking advantage of eight Gonzaga turnovers in the third quarter. A jumper from Malia Latu gave Saint Mary’s its only lead in the second half at 45-44 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.

The game remained tight through the first five minutes of the fourth. Things changed after the media timeout.

Turner, wide open in the corner, drove baseline and made a reverse layup and freshman forward Lauren Whittaker added a basket off a nice assist from Zeryhia Aokuso and Gonzaga was back in control at 65-57 with 3:45 remaining.

“It’s always the stops,” Fortier said. “It really is and it’s those things that make the difference. We didn’t want to keep trading baskets and for a while we were.”

Whittaker had her 16th double-double, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Ines Bettencourt, the Zags’ lone playing senior, Aokuso and Taylor Smith each had four assists.

Bettencourt told the crowd afterward that she was thankful for their support, but she doesn’t want to step foot in the Kennel for another game like last season. She said the Zags plan on earning the WCC’s berth to the NCAA Tournament.

In the first half, Saint Mary’s jumped out fast, opening a 12-4 lead. But the Zags finished the first quarter on a 10-0 run and that continued into the second on another 10-0 surge. A 3-pointer from Allie Turner gave Gonzaga a 24-12 lead with 8:10 left in the second period.

Gonzaga pushed the lead to 28-15 before the Gaels pushed back. Saint Mary’s used a 12-4 surge to pull within 31-27, but a 3-pointer by Turner, her fourth of the half, and a fastbreak basket from Teryn Gardner extended the Zags’ lead to 36-27.

Now the Zags want to finish the regular season with a league championship.

Gonzaga concludes regular-season play Saturday at Portland in a game that will be televised on ESPNU. Tipoff is at 5 p.m.

If Gonzaga finishes in a head-to-head tie with LMU, the Lions will get the first seed and the Zags will be the second seed.

LMU finishes at Oregon State on Saturday.

“I don’t care where they put us in Vegas. We’ve got to get through that purple team (Portland) down there,” Fortier said.