Thursday, January 20
Spokane, WA
4 p.m.
Gonzaga University
vs
Portland
WBB Hosts Portland on Thursday
1/18/2022 3:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
This is the second-straight home WCC game for the Zags
-/RV Gonzaga (12-4, 3-0 WCC) vs. Portland (11-3, 1-1 WCC)
THURSDAY, JAN. 20 | 4 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE, WASH.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | 94.1 FM or 790 AM KJRB
THE TIP OFF
- The Gonzaga Bulldogs host the University of Portland, Jan. 20 for their second-straight home WCC contest.
- Gonzaga is coming off their 10th-straight win over the University of San Diego with a 66-56 victory over the Toreros on Saturday, Jan. 15.
- Against USD, four Bulldogs scored in double figures as sophomore Yvonne Ejim led the team with a near double-double performance of 15 points and eight rebounds. Junior Kayleigh Truong scored 14 points and dished out six assists. Junior Kaylynne Truong also scored in double digits with 12 point and four assists. Senior Cierra Walker rounded out the double-digit performances with 11 and seven rebounds.Senior Melody Kempton also nearly had a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
- After a career-best performance at Pacific and three points against USD, freshman Bree Salenbien was named WCC Freshman of the Week. This was the first weekly nod for any Bulldog this season and Salenbien's first career honor.
- GU is forcing an average of 14 turnovers per game and a total of 224 so far this season.
- The Zags are averaging 40.7 rebounds a game and a 10.8 rebound margin, which ranks sixth in the nation and first in the WCC. The Bulldogs are also first in the conference in scoring defense with 56.4 points. Portland is currently second with 58.8.
- Melody Kempton leads the Zags with 11.4 points a game and ties Yvonne Ejim for most rebounds a game with 5.8. Kayleigh Truong is right behind her with 11 points a game and dishes out 3.5 assists. Kaylynne Truong leads the Zags with 3.8 assists a game, while averaging 10.9 points.
- Gonzaga averages 69 points per game and is currently scoring 81.3 points a game in conference play.
- The Zags also lead the conference in free throws made (206) and three-point field-goal percentage (35.7 percent). Melody Kempton is first in the WCC in field goal percentage with 57 percent within 16 games. Yvonne Ejim is also in the top five, ranking fourth with a 53.1 field goal percentage.
- The Bulldogs will face six teams that were part of the 2021 NCAA Tournament during the 2021-22 campaign.
- Last season, the Zags advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight year under head coach Lisa Fortier.
- Gonzaga returns two starters and seven letterwinners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' fifth consecutive West Coast Conference regular season title.
-The Zags won their ninth WCC Tournament Title in 2021 with a victory over BYU in the championship game.
GAME AT A GLANCE
SERIES INFO: 85 all-time meetings, Gonzaga leads 58-27
STREAK: Gonzaga - 3
FIRST MEETING: In 1981, the Zags won in Portland 78-72.
LAST MEETING: The Zags defeated Portland earlier this season on the road. GU won 76-65 as both Yvonne Ejim and Melody Kempton scored 20+ points against UP.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Zags have historically played very well at their home court in The Kennel. Including this season so far, the Bulldogs have been 41-3 since 2018. They have also played very well against UP. Before falling to the Pilots in 2020 in the WCC Tournament by one point, the Zags hadn't lost to Portland since 2009.
SCOUTING THE PILOTS
- Portland sits at 11-3 overall and 1-1 in WCC play.This season marked the first time since the 2007-08 season that they've entered conference play with 10 wins. Their lone loss in conference is to GU.
- In their last game out, the Pilots defeated San Francisco in a fourth-quarter comeback. The Pilots trailed as many as 14 points in the third quarter and came back to win its first WCC game of the year, 65-60. The win gave Portland its best 14-game start since 1996-97.
- Alex Fowler led the Portland with 18 points against USF and is currently second in the WCC in field goals made (95) and field-goal percentage (54.6) and fourth in points per game (16.8)
- Lucy Cochrane has been a force defensively, leading the WCC in total blocks (49) and blocks per game (4.1).
- Another common foe between Gonzaga and Portland was Hawaii,. The Pilots defeated the Rainbow Warriors 91-77 in the Bank of Hawaii Classic. The Pilots also had a dominant win over Stephen F. Austin, defeating the Ladyjacks 70-59 on Dec. 14.
- UP's two other losses were against ranked teams, No. 7 Stanford and a 62-59 loss to No. 18 Oregon on Dec. 4.
- Due to postponed games because of COVID, Portland has only played San Francisco (Jan. 13) and Gonzaga (Jan. 6).
THURSDAY, JAN. 20 | 4 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE, WASH.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | 94.1 FM or 790 AM KJRB
THE TIP OFF
- The Gonzaga Bulldogs host the University of Portland, Jan. 20 for their second-straight home WCC contest.
- Gonzaga is coming off their 10th-straight win over the University of San Diego with a 66-56 victory over the Toreros on Saturday, Jan. 15.
- Against USD, four Bulldogs scored in double figures as sophomore Yvonne Ejim led the team with a near double-double performance of 15 points and eight rebounds. Junior Kayleigh Truong scored 14 points and dished out six assists. Junior Kaylynne Truong also scored in double digits with 12 point and four assists. Senior Cierra Walker rounded out the double-digit performances with 11 and seven rebounds.Senior Melody Kempton also nearly had a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
- After a career-best performance at Pacific and three points against USD, freshman Bree Salenbien was named WCC Freshman of the Week. This was the first weekly nod for any Bulldog this season and Salenbien's first career honor.
- GU is forcing an average of 14 turnovers per game and a total of 224 so far this season.
- The Zags are averaging 40.7 rebounds a game and a 10.8 rebound margin, which ranks sixth in the nation and first in the WCC. The Bulldogs are also first in the conference in scoring defense with 56.4 points. Portland is currently second with 58.8.
- Melody Kempton leads the Zags with 11.4 points a game and ties Yvonne Ejim for most rebounds a game with 5.8. Kayleigh Truong is right behind her with 11 points a game and dishes out 3.5 assists. Kaylynne Truong leads the Zags with 3.8 assists a game, while averaging 10.9 points.
- Gonzaga averages 69 points per game and is currently scoring 81.3 points a game in conference play.
- The Zags also lead the conference in free throws made (206) and three-point field-goal percentage (35.7 percent). Melody Kempton is first in the WCC in field goal percentage with 57 percent within 16 games. Yvonne Ejim is also in the top five, ranking fourth with a 53.1 field goal percentage.
- The Bulldogs will face six teams that were part of the 2021 NCAA Tournament during the 2021-22 campaign.
- Last season, the Zags advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight year under head coach Lisa Fortier.
- Gonzaga returns two starters and seven letterwinners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' fifth consecutive West Coast Conference regular season title.
-The Zags won their ninth WCC Tournament Title in 2021 with a victory over BYU in the championship game.
GAME AT A GLANCE
SERIES INFO: 85 all-time meetings, Gonzaga leads 58-27
STREAK: Gonzaga - 3
FIRST MEETING: In 1981, the Zags won in Portland 78-72.
LAST MEETING: The Zags defeated Portland earlier this season on the road. GU won 76-65 as both Yvonne Ejim and Melody Kempton scored 20+ points against UP.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Zags have historically played very well at their home court in The Kennel. Including this season so far, the Bulldogs have been 41-3 since 2018. They have also played very well against UP. Before falling to the Pilots in 2020 in the WCC Tournament by one point, the Zags hadn't lost to Portland since 2009.
SCOUTING THE PILOTS
- Portland sits at 11-3 overall and 1-1 in WCC play.This season marked the first time since the 2007-08 season that they've entered conference play with 10 wins. Their lone loss in conference is to GU.
- In their last game out, the Pilots defeated San Francisco in a fourth-quarter comeback. The Pilots trailed as many as 14 points in the third quarter and came back to win its first WCC game of the year, 65-60. The win gave Portland its best 14-game start since 1996-97.
- Alex Fowler led the Portland with 18 points against USF and is currently second in the WCC in field goals made (95) and field-goal percentage (54.6) and fourth in points per game (16.8)
- Lucy Cochrane has been a force defensively, leading the WCC in total blocks (49) and blocks per game (4.1).
- Another common foe between Gonzaga and Portland was Hawaii,. The Pilots defeated the Rainbow Warriors 91-77 in the Bank of Hawaii Classic. The Pilots also had a dominant win over Stephen F. Austin, defeating the Ladyjacks 70-59 on Dec. 14.
- UP's two other losses were against ranked teams, No. 7 Stanford and a 62-59 loss to No. 18 Oregon on Dec. 4.
- Due to postponed games because of COVID, Portland has only played San Francisco (Jan. 13) and Gonzaga (Jan. 6).
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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