Thursday, January 23
Spokane, Wash.
6 P.M.
Gonzaga University
vs
Pepperdine
Photo by: Mike Wootton
#13/11 Gonzaga Hosts Pepperdine Thursday
1/21/2020 1:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kicks off the first of a four-game home stand for the Bulldogs
#13/11 GONZAGA (18-1, 7-0 WCC) vs. PEPPERDINE (9-8, 3-4 WCC)
JAN. 23 | 6 P.M. | SPOKANE, WASH. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
THE TIP-OFF
- Gonzaga extended its program-record start with a 69-46 win at San Francisco on Saturday, improving to 18-1 overall on the season.
- Gonzaga will look to improve to 19-1 overall on the season Thursday against Pepperdine. With a win, Gonzaga will extend its program-record start; previously, Gonzaga's best start was 16-1, a record the Bulldogs set during the 2018-19 season.
- GU is currently on a 16-game win streak, the longest of the season so far. The Bulldogs longest win streak in program history is 23 games, a feat they accomplished from Dec. 10, 2004 to March 6, 2005. The longest recent streak is 15-straight victories which occurred between Dec. 17, 2017 and Feb. 8, 2018.
- Gonzaga broke into the Associated Press Top 25 poll at No. 23 following a 76-70 overtime loss at Stanford on Nov. 17. This week, GU moved up two spots in the Associated Press poll to No. 13 as well as in the Coaches Poll, moving up to No. 11. It's the highest ranking for the Zags this season, and it ties the highest ranking ever. Previously, GU reached its highest ranking in history during the 2018-19 season at No. 12/11.
- Thursday will mark the 10th time in program history that the Bulldogs have played on Jan. 23. Gonzaga currently carries a 7-2 record on the date.
- Gonzaga currently leads the nation in percent attendance capacity. The Zags average 93.31 percent capacity; that's an average of 5,598 fans that fill McCarthey Athletic Center every game.
- The Bulldogs also rank inside the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense; Gonzaga limits its opponents to 52.8 points per contest to lead the WCC and rank seventh in the nation.
- Gonzaga returns two starters and seven letter-winners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' third consecutive and 15th overall West Coast Conference regular season title.
- In 2018-19, the Bulldogs advanced to their third-straight NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Second Round.
SCOUTING THE WAVES
- The Waves return nine from last season's squad that finished 22-12 overall and advanced to the WNIT Sweet Sixteen. Pepperdine graduated the reigning WCC Player of the Year, Yasmine Robinson-Bacote.
- Pepperdine carries a 9-8 overall record with a 3-4 mark in West Coast Conference play.
- As a squad, the Waves average 66.4 points per game shooting 37.2 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from long range. Two layers average double-figures for Pepperdine, led by Paige Fecske at 12.6 points per contest. Malia Bambrick adds 10.3 points per game while Barbara Sitanggan adds 9.8.
- The Waves average 39.8 rebounds per contest including 14.5 offensive rebounds per contest. That mark ranks second in the conference. Monique Andriuolo hauls in an average of 6.6 rebounds per game to lead the Waves and rank 10th in the conference. Sitanggan adds 6.3 rebounds per game to rank second on the team.
- Pepperdine's longest win streak of the season came during a four-game span in November, early December. The Waves strung together four-straight victories at New Mexico State, against Concordia, Cal State LA and at Eastern Washington. The Waves opened WCC play with a 1-4 mark but have since gone 2-1 for a 3-4 overall record.
LIMITING THE BENCH
Saturday at San Francisco, Gonzaga did not allow the Dons' bench to score. It's the first time the Bulldogs have limited an opponent to zero bench points since 2017. That season, Gonzaga limited UNLV's bench to zero points in a 52-50 loss to the Rebels on Dec. 9, 2017. The Bulldogs have limited opponents' bench production to under four points three additional times in the last two seasons:
vs. Portland 12/29/19 2 points
vs. EWU 11/11/18 3 points
vs. USF 3/5/18 1 point
SHARING THE SCORE
- Through 19 games this season, three players average double-figures for Gonzaga with six players averaging over 7.0 points per contest. The Bulldogs have had seven different top scorers this season, spanning each academic year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior). Jenn Wirth leads the Zags in scoring at 11.5 points per game, Katie Campbell ranks second at 11.1 while Jill Townsend adds 10.9 points per game. LeeAnne Wirth adds 9.6 points per contest while Jessie Loera chips in 8.2 and Melody Kempton is at 7.1.
DEFENSIVE STRENGTH
Currently, Gonzaga ranks seventh in the nation in scoring defense at 52.8 points per game. This season alone, Gonzaga has limited nine opponents to 50 points or fewer and 16 opponents to under 60 points. Thursday at Santa Clara, the Bulldogs limited the second-best scoring team in the conference to 52 points, more than 20 points less than SCU's season average of 74.3 points per game. Against BYU on Jan. 2, Gonzaga limited the Cougars to 43 points, the fewest scored by a WCC opponent since Gonzaga limited BYU to just 37 points in Spokane on Feb. 24, 2018. Gonzaga followed it up by limiting San Diego to just 42 points on Jan. 4, 49 points to Saint Mary's on Jan. 9 and 46 points to San Francisco on Jan. 18.
DISHIN' ON UP
With her fifth assist of the afternoon against Portland on Dec. 29, Jessie Loera moved into seventh all-time in career assists with 356. Loera surpassed Robin Allen (355, 1984-88). Loera now has 390 career assists after dishing out five assists at San Francisco on Jan. 18, and she is three assists shy of sixth place. Loera also ranks 20th nationally and second in the WCC in total assists on the season with 95.
JAN. 23 | 6 P.M. | SPOKANE, WASH. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
THE TIP-OFF
- Gonzaga extended its program-record start with a 69-46 win at San Francisco on Saturday, improving to 18-1 overall on the season.
- Gonzaga will look to improve to 19-1 overall on the season Thursday against Pepperdine. With a win, Gonzaga will extend its program-record start; previously, Gonzaga's best start was 16-1, a record the Bulldogs set during the 2018-19 season.
- GU is currently on a 16-game win streak, the longest of the season so far. The Bulldogs longest win streak in program history is 23 games, a feat they accomplished from Dec. 10, 2004 to March 6, 2005. The longest recent streak is 15-straight victories which occurred between Dec. 17, 2017 and Feb. 8, 2018.
- Gonzaga broke into the Associated Press Top 25 poll at No. 23 following a 76-70 overtime loss at Stanford on Nov. 17. This week, GU moved up two spots in the Associated Press poll to No. 13 as well as in the Coaches Poll, moving up to No. 11. It's the highest ranking for the Zags this season, and it ties the highest ranking ever. Previously, GU reached its highest ranking in history during the 2018-19 season at No. 12/11.
- Thursday will mark the 10th time in program history that the Bulldogs have played on Jan. 23. Gonzaga currently carries a 7-2 record on the date.
- Gonzaga currently leads the nation in percent attendance capacity. The Zags average 93.31 percent capacity; that's an average of 5,598 fans that fill McCarthey Athletic Center every game.
- The Bulldogs also rank inside the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense; Gonzaga limits its opponents to 52.8 points per contest to lead the WCC and rank seventh in the nation.
- Gonzaga returns two starters and seven letter-winners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' third consecutive and 15th overall West Coast Conference regular season title.
- In 2018-19, the Bulldogs advanced to their third-straight NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Second Round.
SCOUTING THE WAVES
- The Waves return nine from last season's squad that finished 22-12 overall and advanced to the WNIT Sweet Sixteen. Pepperdine graduated the reigning WCC Player of the Year, Yasmine Robinson-Bacote.
- Pepperdine carries a 9-8 overall record with a 3-4 mark in West Coast Conference play.
- As a squad, the Waves average 66.4 points per game shooting 37.2 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from long range. Two layers average double-figures for Pepperdine, led by Paige Fecske at 12.6 points per contest. Malia Bambrick adds 10.3 points per game while Barbara Sitanggan adds 9.8.
- The Waves average 39.8 rebounds per contest including 14.5 offensive rebounds per contest. That mark ranks second in the conference. Monique Andriuolo hauls in an average of 6.6 rebounds per game to lead the Waves and rank 10th in the conference. Sitanggan adds 6.3 rebounds per game to rank second on the team.
- Pepperdine's longest win streak of the season came during a four-game span in November, early December. The Waves strung together four-straight victories at New Mexico State, against Concordia, Cal State LA and at Eastern Washington. The Waves opened WCC play with a 1-4 mark but have since gone 2-1 for a 3-4 overall record.
LIMITING THE BENCH
Saturday at San Francisco, Gonzaga did not allow the Dons' bench to score. It's the first time the Bulldogs have limited an opponent to zero bench points since 2017. That season, Gonzaga limited UNLV's bench to zero points in a 52-50 loss to the Rebels on Dec. 9, 2017. The Bulldogs have limited opponents' bench production to under four points three additional times in the last two seasons:
vs. Portland 12/29/19 2 points
vs. EWU 11/11/18 3 points
vs. USF 3/5/18 1 point
SHARING THE SCORE
- Through 19 games this season, three players average double-figures for Gonzaga with six players averaging over 7.0 points per contest. The Bulldogs have had seven different top scorers this season, spanning each academic year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior). Jenn Wirth leads the Zags in scoring at 11.5 points per game, Katie Campbell ranks second at 11.1 while Jill Townsend adds 10.9 points per game. LeeAnne Wirth adds 9.6 points per contest while Jessie Loera chips in 8.2 and Melody Kempton is at 7.1.
DEFENSIVE STRENGTH
Currently, Gonzaga ranks seventh in the nation in scoring defense at 52.8 points per game. This season alone, Gonzaga has limited nine opponents to 50 points or fewer and 16 opponents to under 60 points. Thursday at Santa Clara, the Bulldogs limited the second-best scoring team in the conference to 52 points, more than 20 points less than SCU's season average of 74.3 points per game. Against BYU on Jan. 2, Gonzaga limited the Cougars to 43 points, the fewest scored by a WCC opponent since Gonzaga limited BYU to just 37 points in Spokane on Feb. 24, 2018. Gonzaga followed it up by limiting San Diego to just 42 points on Jan. 4, 49 points to Saint Mary's on Jan. 9 and 46 points to San Francisco on Jan. 18.
DISHIN' ON UP
With her fifth assist of the afternoon against Portland on Dec. 29, Jessie Loera moved into seventh all-time in career assists with 356. Loera surpassed Robin Allen (355, 1984-88). Loera now has 390 career assists after dishing out five assists at San Francisco on Jan. 18, and she is three assists shy of sixth place. Loera also ranks 20th nationally and second in the WCC in total assists on the season with 95.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballThursday, March 28
Monday, March 25
Sunday, March 24
Saturday, March 23
