Gonzaga-Oregon State rubber match will decide NCAA Tournament bid | Notebook

LAS VEGAS – They were picked to finish 1-2 in the West Coast Conference preseason coaches poll.

Gonzaga (23-9) kept up its part, finishing as the second seed. Oregon State (23-10), picked to win the WCC title, stumbled to fourth.

Now they’ll decide it all Tuesday when the teams play in their final WCC-sanctioned event to decide the tournament championship and berth to the NCAA Tournament. Tipoff is at 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

The last time Gonzaga and Oregon State met, many were wondering how the Zags would respond to a 92-87 loss in overtime in the first meeting in Corvallis, Oregon.

The response, Feb. 7 at McCarthey Athletic Center, was a 67-37 beatdown by the Zags.

Gonzaga has to figure that Oregon State will make several adjustments. But Zags coach Lisa Fortier was less concerned about that because her team’s lopsided bounce-back victory was more mental than physical.

“It was the defense,” Fortier said. “We’ve shown glimpses of really good defense (all season) – connected team defense at different times.”

Sound defense was pivotal in Gonzaga’s 88-60 dismantling of third-seeded Santa Clara in the semifinals Monday.

Smilin’ Z

When junior transfer guard Zeryhia Aokuso is playing well, an ear-to-ear grin usually shows up.

Aokuso had reason to smile Monday. The transfer from Saint Mary’s may have had her best game of the season with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with four assists and three rebounds. She made both 3-point shots she attempted.

She was especially happy that many of her family from Amarillo, Texas, and other stops were on hand to watch Monday.

“At the end of the day I just want to go have fun and give the team whatever it needs,” Aokuso said. “It felt good because my family was out there cheering me on.”

Aokuso expects a big challenge from Oregon State.

“They’re a really good team,” she said. “They’ve been working and we’ve been working also. We’re just going to stick together. Staying together is all we can do.”

Automatic 3-pointer Turner

That’s a moniker the Gonzaga sports information gave sophomore guard Allie Turner.

For good reason. She broke Gonzaga’s single-season record last year with 105.

After going through a rough patch, Turner has been coming the last three weeks. She matched a school record for most in a game when she made 9 of 14 in the next-to-last regular season game.

Turner made 4 of 5 on Monday, finishing with a team-high 17 points.

She said the Zags have been looking forward to avenging a tournament-ending loss to Oregon State last year in the semifinals.

“We’ve been focused on Santa Clara from the moment we got here, but just knowing we get another chance against them (OSU),” Turner said. “I’m just super excited to play them again.”

First time playing, but no stranger

Interestingly, Gonzaga redshirt freshman forward Lauren Whittaker is on her third trip to the WCC Tournament.

In her first year, when Gonzaga finished 32-4 and advanced to the Sweet 16, Whittaker was on the bench redshirting after arriving three months earlier following her high school graduation.

She was on the bench last year, recovering from knee surgery.

Whittaker, who was named the WCC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, has been champing at the bit to show her stuff in Sin City.

Turner didn’t refrain from how she felt about having Whittaker playing this year.

“Much better having her on the court than on the bench,” Turner said.