Sunday, January 24
Portland, Ore.
4 P.M.
Gonzaga University
at
University of Portland
Photo by: Mike Wootton
No. 20/18 Gonzaga Travels to Portland Sunday
1/22/2021 3:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SPOKANE, Wash. – The No. 20/18 Gonzaga women's basketball team is set to travel to Portland for a 4 p.m. tip-off on Sunday, Jan. 24. Gonzaga's previously scheduled home game against BYU on Jan. 23 was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the BYU program.
#20/18 GONZAGA (12-2, 7-0 WCC) at PORTLAND (7-5, 4-2 WCC)
JAN. 24 | 4 P.M. | PORTLAND, ORE. | CHILES CENTER
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS
THE TIP-OFF
- The Bulldogs extended their win streak to 11 games with a 76-52 victory over San Francisco Saturday afternoon in San Francisco.
- With the win over the Dons, Gonzaga improved to 7-0 in conference play for the fourth-straight season.
- Gonzaga's originally schedule home contest against BYU on Saturday, Jan. 23 was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the BYU program. The Zags worked with the WCC and Portland to re-schedule the originally scheduled Feb. 6 matchup at the Chiles Center for Sunday, Jan. 24.
- Sunday will mark the 10th time in program history that the Zags have played on Jan. 24. Gonzaga carries a 5-4 overall record on the date. It will also mark the third time GU has faced Portland on Jan. 24. The series is tied 1-1 on the date.
- Currently, Gonzaga is ranked 20th in the AP Poll and 18th in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs have now been ranked or receiving votes for 47 consecutive voting weeks, dating back to Dec. 3, 2018.
- Currently, Gonzaga owns the fifth-longest active Division I home winning streak at 22 games. It is also the longest home win streak under Lisa Fortier.
- The Bulldogs return three starters and nine letter winners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' fourth consecutive West Coast Conference regular season title.
- In 2019-20, Gonzaga rose to its highest regular-season national ranking ever, securing a No. 11 AP and No. 10 ranking in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. Prior to the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zags were predicted as high as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and were expected to host the First and Second Rounds for the first time since the NCAA changed hosting rules for the tournament in 2014-15.
- Gonzaga returns 79.1 percent of its scoring and 79.2 percent of its rebounding from last season.
- Gonzaga returns as one of the top defensive teams in the nation from a season ago. In 2019-20, the Bulldogs ranked third in the nation in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 51.9 points per game.
- The Bulldogs won 28 games last season, including a 17-1 mark in WCC play to tie their own record for wins in a conference season. It was the fourth-straight 25+ win season and 12th 25+ win season in the last 13 seasons.
SERIES NOTES
- HOME: 29-9, Gonzaga leads
- ROAD: 17-16, Portland leads
- NEUTRAL: 4-2, Portland leads
- FIRST MEETING: Gonzaga won, 78-72 (1980-81)
- LAST MEETING: Gonzaga won 75-43 in Spokane on Jan. 4, 2021
- STREAK: Gonzaga, Won 1
SCOUTING THE PILOTS
- Portland is 7-5 overall on the year with a 4-2 mark in conference play, good for third place in the WCC.
- As a team, the Pilots average 67.3 points per game shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from long range. Portland adds 31.3 rebounds per contest, 11.3 steals and 17.3 assists. The Pilots' rank second in the conference in both steals and assists; Gonzaga leads the conference in assists at 18.14 per contest.
- Two players average double-figures for the Pilots, led by sophomore forward Alex Fowler at 15.2 points per game. Fowler is the reigning Newcomer of the Year in the WCC, and she was selected WCC Preseason All-Conference. Haylee Andrews, a Second Team All-WCC selection last season, adds 13.2 points per game shooting 45.1 percent from the floor. The duo also leads the Pilots in rebounding, as Fowler grabs a team-high 6.9 per game, while Andrews adds 4.4.
- The Pilots dropped their last contest, an 84-65 decision at Santa Clara on Jan. 16. Portland has lost two of its last three contests, with their second loss coming at Gonzaga on Jan. 4, a 75-43 defeat.
EJIM MAKING WAVES IN WCC, NAMED UCU #WCCHOOPS FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
[Jan. 21] Freshman forward Yvonne Ejim stepped up in a big way on Gonzaga's last road trip, helping the Zags pick up wins at Santa Clara and San Francisco. The Calgary, Alberta native averaged 8.5 points per game shooting a whopping 87.5 percent from the floor in just 15.5 minutes of play. She added 2.5 rebounds on the weekend. Saturday against the Dons, Ejim finished a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor for a career-high 10 points to go along with three rebounds. On Monday, Jan. 18, Ejim was awarded with the program's first-ever WCC Freshman of the Week (the WCC introduced the award ahead of this season) for her performance over the last week.
WALKER CRACKS TOP 50 NATIONALLY
[Jan. 21] Senior guard Cierra Walker cracked the top 50 nationally in three-point field goal percentage this week. The Oregon City, Ore., native finished 4-of-7 from long range last week to shoot 57.1 percent. She's currently 30-of-70 from long range to shoot 42.9 percent for the season.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
[Jan. 21] Senior Jill Townsend is the latest Zag to inch closer to the 1,000 career points mark. Townsend currently has 992 career points; the senior guard averages 13.2 points per game. At that rate, she's predicted to eclipse the mark against Portland.
#20/18 GONZAGA (12-2, 7-0 WCC) at PORTLAND (7-5, 4-2 WCC)
JAN. 24 | 4 P.M. | PORTLAND, ORE. | CHILES CENTER
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS
THE TIP-OFF
- The Bulldogs extended their win streak to 11 games with a 76-52 victory over San Francisco Saturday afternoon in San Francisco.
- With the win over the Dons, Gonzaga improved to 7-0 in conference play for the fourth-straight season.
- Gonzaga's originally schedule home contest against BYU on Saturday, Jan. 23 was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the BYU program. The Zags worked with the WCC and Portland to re-schedule the originally scheduled Feb. 6 matchup at the Chiles Center for Sunday, Jan. 24.
- Sunday will mark the 10th time in program history that the Zags have played on Jan. 24. Gonzaga carries a 5-4 overall record on the date. It will also mark the third time GU has faced Portland on Jan. 24. The series is tied 1-1 on the date.
- Currently, Gonzaga is ranked 20th in the AP Poll and 18th in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs have now been ranked or receiving votes for 47 consecutive voting weeks, dating back to Dec. 3, 2018.
- Currently, Gonzaga owns the fifth-longest active Division I home winning streak at 22 games. It is also the longest home win streak under Lisa Fortier.
- The Bulldogs return three starters and nine letter winners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' fourth consecutive West Coast Conference regular season title.
- In 2019-20, Gonzaga rose to its highest regular-season national ranking ever, securing a No. 11 AP and No. 10 ranking in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. Prior to the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zags were predicted as high as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and were expected to host the First and Second Rounds for the first time since the NCAA changed hosting rules for the tournament in 2014-15.
- Gonzaga returns 79.1 percent of its scoring and 79.2 percent of its rebounding from last season.
- Gonzaga returns as one of the top defensive teams in the nation from a season ago. In 2019-20, the Bulldogs ranked third in the nation in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 51.9 points per game.
- The Bulldogs won 28 games last season, including a 17-1 mark in WCC play to tie their own record for wins in a conference season. It was the fourth-straight 25+ win season and 12th 25+ win season in the last 13 seasons.
SERIES NOTES
- HOME: 29-9, Gonzaga leads
- ROAD: 17-16, Portland leads
- NEUTRAL: 4-2, Portland leads
- FIRST MEETING: Gonzaga won, 78-72 (1980-81)
- LAST MEETING: Gonzaga won 75-43 in Spokane on Jan. 4, 2021
- STREAK: Gonzaga, Won 1
SCOUTING THE PILOTS
- Portland is 7-5 overall on the year with a 4-2 mark in conference play, good for third place in the WCC.
- As a team, the Pilots average 67.3 points per game shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from long range. Portland adds 31.3 rebounds per contest, 11.3 steals and 17.3 assists. The Pilots' rank second in the conference in both steals and assists; Gonzaga leads the conference in assists at 18.14 per contest.
- Two players average double-figures for the Pilots, led by sophomore forward Alex Fowler at 15.2 points per game. Fowler is the reigning Newcomer of the Year in the WCC, and she was selected WCC Preseason All-Conference. Haylee Andrews, a Second Team All-WCC selection last season, adds 13.2 points per game shooting 45.1 percent from the floor. The duo also leads the Pilots in rebounding, as Fowler grabs a team-high 6.9 per game, while Andrews adds 4.4.
- The Pilots dropped their last contest, an 84-65 decision at Santa Clara on Jan. 16. Portland has lost two of its last three contests, with their second loss coming at Gonzaga on Jan. 4, a 75-43 defeat.
EJIM MAKING WAVES IN WCC, NAMED UCU #WCCHOOPS FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
[Jan. 21] Freshman forward Yvonne Ejim stepped up in a big way on Gonzaga's last road trip, helping the Zags pick up wins at Santa Clara and San Francisco. The Calgary, Alberta native averaged 8.5 points per game shooting a whopping 87.5 percent from the floor in just 15.5 minutes of play. She added 2.5 rebounds on the weekend. Saturday against the Dons, Ejim finished a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor for a career-high 10 points to go along with three rebounds. On Monday, Jan. 18, Ejim was awarded with the program's first-ever WCC Freshman of the Week (the WCC introduced the award ahead of this season) for her performance over the last week.
WALKER CRACKS TOP 50 NATIONALLY
[Jan. 21] Senior guard Cierra Walker cracked the top 50 nationally in three-point field goal percentage this week. The Oregon City, Ore., native finished 4-of-7 from long range last week to shoot 57.1 percent. She's currently 30-of-70 from long range to shoot 42.9 percent for the season.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
[Jan. 21] Senior Jill Townsend is the latest Zag to inch closer to the 1,000 career points mark. Townsend currently has 992 career points; the senior guard averages 13.2 points per game. At that rate, she's predicted to eclipse the mark against Portland.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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