GONZAGA (9-8, 4-2 WCC) at WASHINGTON STATE (9-7, 4-1 WCC)
SATURDAY, JAN. 11 | NOON | PULLMAN ,WASH. | BEASLEY COLISEUM (11,671)
TV: ESPN+ | RADIO: 101.5 FM
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS

THE TIPOFF
- The Gonzaga women's basketball team hits the road for a short trip to Pullman to face the WSU Cougars on Saturday. The Zags are coming off an 82-56 win over Santa Clara. Maud Huijbens led the Zags with a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. 
- Bree Salenbien has made her return to the court for the first time since a knee injury sustained last February. While playing just under 10 mins a game, she is averaging 6.7 points.
- Yvonne Ejim has a chance to make history in the record books. She currently has 2,003 career points and is 163 points away from breaking the all-time scoring record. She has recorded 31 double doubles in her career and has scored double digits in 59-straight games. She also ranks seventh in the nation in scoring with 344 points this season. 
- Ejim is now second all-time in rebounds with 956. She needs 28 more to pass Kay Koppelman's 983 rebounds set from 1987-91.
- Allie Turner has made a huge impact as a freshman already this season. She ranks first in the nation in three-pointers made (47) among freshmen and is averaging 13.3 points per game. Overall, she ranks eighth 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 26.
- Turner is the first true freshman to score 20 points in a game since Courtney Vandersloot.
- Ejim ranks third in the nation in field goals made this season with 130. She currently has made 819 in her career at GU to rank third all-time. She needs 10 more to break the record.
- Ejim leads the Zags with 20.2 points a game, which ranks 20th in the country and first in the WCC. She also grabs an average of 8.2 rebounds a game this season to rank first in the conference and on the team. Her six double doubles this season ranks her29th in the nation and first in the conference. 
- Gonzaga is shooting at 36.3% from beyond the arc to rank 29th nationally and first in the WCC.  
- As a team, GU has a rebound margin of +8 and has an average of 38.3 rebounds a game.
- Head coach Lisa Fortier currently sits at 274-71 in her career. Among active Division I coaches, she is seventh in winning percentage at 79.4%. 
- 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.GU finished with 32 wins last year, which was the most in program history.

THE SERIES
SERIES INFO: This will be the 31st matchup against the Cougs for GU with the series dating back to 1984. WSU currently leads 20-11 in the series.          
LAST MEETING: No. 24 Washington State won 77-72 over RV Gonzaga in overtime on November 9, 2023, in Pullman, Wash.    

SCOUTING THE COUGS
- Washington State has a matchup at Saint Mary's on Thursday night. 
- One of the top-blocking teams in the nation, WSU is 9-7 to start the 2024-25 season and is 4-1 start to WCC play with wins over San Diego, Pepperdine, Pacific and Oregon State. Through the strong 11-game non-conference schedule, the Cougs tallied home wins over Eastern Washington, Idaho and Saint Martin's, and a pair of wins in Puerto Rico over Norfolk State and Virginia. The Cougars have been impressive defensively and elite in blocking as the team leads the nation with 109 total blocks and ranks third with 6.8 blocks per game. Offensively, the Cougs are shooting .417 from the field and .309 from deep while averaging 66.4 points per game.

MILESTONE CAREER WATCHES
Yvonne Ejim - 2,003 points, 956 rebounds, 167 steals, 126 blocks

IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Made FGs
1. Tammy Tibbles 828 (1984-988)
2. Heather Bowman 822 (2006-10)
3. Yvonne Ejim 819
4. Courtney Vandersloot 736 (2007-11)

Rebounds
1. Kay Koppelman 983 (1987-91)
2. Yvonne Ejim 956
3. Shelby Cheslek 932 (2012-16)

Points
1. Heather Bowman 2,165 (2006-10)
2. Courtney Vandersloot 2,073 (2007-11)
3. Tammy Tibbles 2,011 (1984-88)
4. Yvonne Ejim 2,003