GONZAGA (5-6) at SAN FRANCISCO (3-6)
THURSDAY, DEC. 17 | SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. | WAR MEMORIAL  GYM (5,300)
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THE TIPOFF
- The Gonzaga women's basketball starts conference play this Thursday at the University of San Francisco at 6 pm. The Zags stay on the road to play San Diego on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m.
- The Zags are coming off a 79-50 win over Eastern Washington. Yvonne Ejim paced the Zags with an impressive 28-point performance. Allie Turner also recorded 19 and Claire O'Connor scored 18.
- Yvonne Ejim has a chance to make history in the record books. She currently has 1,877 career points and is 288 points away from breaking the all-time scoring record. She has recorded 30 double doubles in her career and has scored double digits in 53-straight games.
- Ejim is now third all-time in rebounds with 909. She will move into second with 24 more rebounds.
- Allie Turner has made a huge impact as a freshman already this season. She ranks first in the nation in three-pointers made (34) among freshmen and is averaging 14.4 points per game. Overall, she ranks 12th in the country and first in the WCC in made three-pointers.
- Claire O'Connor ranks second on the team in three pointers made with 14.
- Turner is the first true freshman to score 20 points in a game since Courtney Vandersloot.
- Ejim leads the Zags with 19.8 points a game, which ranks 26th in the country and first in the WCC. She also grabs an average of 8.5 rebounds a game this season to rank first in the conference and on the team. Her five double doubles this season ranks her 18th in the nation and first in the conference. 
- Gonzaga is shooting at 37.9% from beyond the arc to rank 20th nationally and first in the WCC.  
- As a team, GU has a rebound margin of +8.3 and has an average of 38.7 rebounds a game.
- Head coach Lisa Fortier currently sits at 270-69 in her career. Among active Division I coaches, she is seventh in winning percentage at 79.6%. 
- The Bulldogs were picked to finish first in the West Coast Conference in preseason polls for the third-straight season. Ejim and Maud Huijbens were named to the All-WCC Preseason Team.
- Lisa Fortier was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Coach of the Year preseason watch list after she had won the award last season.
- The Bulldogs are coming off a historical season after advancing to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in program history. GU finished with 32 wins last year, which was the most in program history.
- Last season, Yvonne Ejim was named an AP All-American Honorable Mention, Naismith POY Watch List, Katrina McClain Top 5 Power Forward Finalist, the Wade Trophy Watch List along winning the Becky Hammon Player of the Year, WCC Player of the Year and WCC Defensive Player of the Year. 
- Lisa Fortier was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year award as she led the Zags to its 15th overall NCAA appearance last year.

THE SERIES
SERIES INFO: Gonzaga leads 55-26     
LAST MEETING: Gonzaga won 74-48 on February 22, 2024, in Spokane, Wash.    STREAK: GU has won 17-straight    

SCOUTING THE DONS
- The Dons are coming off a 67-64 win over Arizona State on Tuesday. They now sit at 3-6 overall going into conference play. 
- Nearly recording her first-ever double-double, Angeliki Ziaka scored 14 points and dished out eight assists, both career highs. She also led the team in blocks for the third time this season, accumulating two from the point guard position.
- Werth leads the team and ranks 10th in the WCC in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game. Following an eight-rebound performance at NAU, Trawally leads the team at 6.8 boards per game, tied for fourth-best in the conference.
- Tyi Skinner leads the team in scoring and assists, averaging 17.0 points and 3.7 assists per game. Defensively Kennedy Basham averages 7.1 rebounds per game and leads the team in blocks with 23.