Nicholls State game notes

Gonzaga (0-0) vs. Nicholls State (0-0)
2:00 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 12 | McCarthey Athletic Center
| Live Video

EXHIBITION RUNAWAY
- The Gonzaga Bulldogs won their lone exhibition tune-up for the 2016-2017 season in convincing fashion last Friday night, defeating visiting Corban (Ore.) 86-31. The third quarter is where the separation happened as the Zags used the quarter as an extended 27-3 run to put the Warriors well in the rearview. Gonzaga outscored Corban 46-10 in the paint, 36-6 off turnovers, 16-3 in second-chance points, 10-0 in fastbreak points, and 34-8 in bench points. Gonzaga won the battle of the boards 47-23 and forced 27 turnovers while only giving it away 13 times.

SERIES HISTORY
- The programs have never met.

BACK ON TOP THE MOUNTAIN
- For the fourth-straight season, the Gonzaga women's basketball team was picked as the West Coast Conference preseason favorite. The poll was announced at the sixth annual #WCChoops Tip-Off event Monday in Los Angeles. The Zags, which have won 11 of the last 12 regular-season WCC titles, received five of the 10 possible first-place votes for 76 points in the poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. BYU was picked second and received four first-place votes and 75 points. It marked the fifth time GU and the Cougars were the top two teams in the poll since BYU joined the conference in 2011. The one-point separation is also the second closest margin between first and second in the poll over the last 11 years. BYU had a 61-60 edge over the Bulldogs in the 2012-13 poll, before Gonzaga won the conference regular-season title for the ninth-straight season.

TINKLE TWICE AS NICE
- In the preseason All-Conference selections, Elle Tinkle received the recognition for the second-straight season, as she only played 10 games last year before suffering a season-ending injury. She was named to the All-WCC First Team in 2015 after averaging 14.9 points per game during conference play, which was ninth in the WCC. In conference action, the senior was second in the league, shooting 50.6 percent from the field, and 43.8 percent from behind-the-arc, which was fourth in the WCC. Also in conference play, she was fifth in steals (2.1), seventh in blocks (1.0), ninth in three-pointers made per game (1.9), and 16th in rebounds (5.9). In her 10 games last year she averaged 10.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per contest.

BARTA'S BACK
- Jill Barta, a 2016 First Team All-WCC and WCC All-Freshman team selection, received her first Preseason All-WCC nod. Last year, she averaged 14 points per game, good for seventh in the WCC. The 6'3" freshman also snagged 5.8 rebounds per game, which was 18th in the conference. Barta shot 83 percent from the free throw line, third in the WCC and 61st in the country. She really shined in WCC action, finishing third in points per game (16.3), first in free throw percentage (91 percent), and ninth in field goal percentage (44 percent). In the Gonzaga freshman ranks, only Tammy Tibbles (475) scored more points than Barta's 463 and only Heather Bowman (209) had more rebounds than Barta's 190. She was the first freshman to lead the team in scoring in school history. She led the team in scoring in 18 of the 33 games last season.

YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE
- The Gonzaga women's basketball team will play on television at least seven times this season, the school announced Tuesday. Local television network, SWX, will broadcast five home games, available locally. The slate begins on December 8 as Gonzaga hosts Washington State at 6 pm. The Zags home game against Northwestern on December 19 at 6 pm will be live as well. The lineup will finish with three West Coast Conference home games including San Francisco at 6 pm on January 5, Santa Clara at 6 pm on January 19, and Saint Mary's at 2 pm on February 11. The Zags road trip to Stanford on November 18 at 7 pm will be available regionally on the Pac-12 Network. GU's final regular-season game at BYU on February 25 will be available regionally on BYUtv. The television package may expand as other games are under consideration by broadcast partners.

WAITING PATIENTLY
- For redshirt senior Makenlee Williams and redshirt sophomore Chandler Smith, last year was a helpless feeling. Per NCAA rules, the two transfers had to sit out a year, and watch as the injuries caused the Zags to draw on underclassmen, when Williams and Smith had the experience the team wanted on the court. The two will make an immediate impact this season. Williams averaged 11.1 points per game in three seasons at Utah State and made 107 career three-pointers. She averaged over 14 points per game her final two seasons with the Aggies and scored 35 points against Black Hills State in 2013. Smith had a great finish to her freshman season at Nebraska in 2014-15, and had seven points and seven rebounds at No. 5 Maryland in 2015.

10 YEARS OF KNOWLEDGE
- The Zags will lean heavily this season on the experience of their two five-year seniors. Kiara Kudron and Elle Tinkle have played a combined 203 games for the Zags. Kudron has averaged 4.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in her career, but averaged 6.9 ppg and 7.3 rpg a season ago in her first year in the starting lineup. She is a career 44 percent shooter with 94 career assists and 32 blocks. Tinkle only played 10 games last season, but has started 39 games the last two years. She has played 110 games total and is a career 42 percent shooter who has averaged double figures in points the last two seasons.

STOCKED IN SOPHOMORES
- With the rash of injuries last season, Gonzaga's freshman, now sophomores, were rushed into heavy action early in their careers. The five-player sophomore class returns this year with a combined 134 games of experience between them. As a group they averaged almost 35 points per game in their freshman seasons. That experience will pay dividends in the depth of the Zags in 2016-2017.

NON-CONFERENCE CHALLENGES AWAIT
- In their scheduled non-conference slate, the Zags will face four opponents that advanced to the postseason in 2015-16, including two that made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. Five of the programs had top-100 RPI finishes last season, and six had .500 or better records. Four upcoming opponents had 20-win seasons in 2015-16. The Bulldogs travel to Stanford on Nov. 18. The Cardinal won 27 games last season, finishing in the Elite Eight. Stanford, which finished ranked No. 11, escaped Spokane with a victory last season courtesy of a late run. The Zags open the Paradise Jam tournament against WNIT semifinalist, Michigan, before facing Florida State, which advanced to the Sweet 16 last season. Gonzaga closes the event versus Winthrop from the Big South Conference. Stanford (AP No. 11 & USA Today No. 10) and Florida State (AP No. 12 & USA Today No. 12) are both ranked in the national preseason polls. On the conference side, BYU is receiving votes in the AP Poll and Gonzaga, Michigan, and BYU are receiving votes in the USA Today Poll.

CHEESEBURGER, TURKEY IN PARADISE
- Gonzaga will play in the 2016 Paradise in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The three-day tournament takes place Nov. 24-26 at the 4,000-seat UVI Sports and Fitness Center. This will be the second time GU has played in the Paradise Jam. The Bulldogs lost all three of their games in the 2005 tournament. Gonzaga battled with perennial powers Maryland, Tennessee and Michigan State in that event. The games will stream online exclusively at www.FloHoops.com.