GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY (1-6)  at GONZAGA (4-4)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 | 6 P.M. PT | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER (6,000)
RADIO: 101.5 FM | GAME NOTES
TV: SWX AND ESPN+ | LIVE STATS

THE TIPOFF
- The Gonzaga women's basketball team returns home to host Grand Canyon University this Thursday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m.

- Freshman Lauren Whittaker is shooting at 53.5% from the floor, which ranks second  in the West Coast Conference. With 152 points so far this season, she ranks second in scoring among other freshmen in the country.

- Against Colorado State, Whittaker scored 29 points, making her just the third freshman in GU history to scored 29 points or more in a game. (Jill Barta and Heather Bowman are the only other two.)

- Gonzaga is currently ranked 33rd in the country in three-point percentage at 37%. Individually, Allie leads the team at 43.5%.

- Turner was recently named to the 2026 Becky Hammon Player of the Year Preseason Watch List. She was one of 25 players in the country to make the list.

- The Zags represent the last two WCC Freshman of the Year with Allie Turner winning it in 2025 and Zee Aokuso in 2024 during her time at Saint Mary's.
- The Bulldogs were picked to finish second in the West Coast Conference in the preseason coaches poll. Sophomore Allie Turner and junior Zee Aukoso were named to the WCC Preseason Team as well.

- Head coach Lisa Fortier currently sits at 293-78 in her career. Among active Division I coaches with at least five years at the level, she is currently ranked fifth in winning percentage (.790). Fortier is also now tied in second place on the WCC career coaching wins list with 171.

SERIES INFO: The Zags have played GCU one other time in 2016 and won 70-44.
STREAK: Gonzaga - 1
FIRST & LAST MEETING: In 2016, Gonzaga won at the Naismith Hall of Fame Challenge in 2016, 70-44, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. Jill Barta scored 11 of her game-high 17 points in the second half to lead the Bulldogs.

SCOUTING THE LOPES
- GCU's first win of 2025-26 campaign came against ACC opponent SMU, the first ACC opponent since California in 2018. The Lopes pulled down 54 rebounds, the most in a game since Feb. 17, 2022. Freshman Norah Moo led the charge with 11 boards while adding eight points to her night.

- GCU averages 64.0 points per game and shoots 39.7% from the field, and opponents shoot 46.7% and score 72.9 per game.

- Offensively, they're led by Chloe Mann (12.4 ppg), Ale'jah Douglas (10.6 ppg, 45.8% from three), and Julianna LaMendola (10.1 ppg, team-best 5.6 rpg).

WHITTAKER TAKEOVER
- Lauren Whittaker scored 29 points against Colorado State. She is the first freshman to reach at least 29 points since Jill Barta in 2016 when she scored 31.

- Whittaker is one of three freshmen in GU history to reach 29 points or more in a game, joining Barta (2016) and Heather Bowman (2006).

- Whittaker recorded her first double double of her career against SDSU. She is one of 11 freshmen in GU history to record a double double with points and rebounds. (Jill Barta, Heather Bowman, Anne Bailey, Kelly Bowen, Janelle Bekkering, Courtney Vandersloot, Jenn Wirth, Ashley Anderson, Emma Wolfram, Shelby Cheslek)

- So far this season, Whittaker has had four games with 20 or more points. She is one of four freshman in GU history to have multiple 20+ point games. (Allie Turner x5, Heather Bowman x8, Jill Barta x8)

- With two double doubles so far this season, Whittaker is one of five freshmen in Gonzaga history to have multiple double doubles in a season. (Barta x4, Bowman x4, Anne Bailey x2, Shelby Chelsek x2)

TURNER FOR THREE
- Allie Turner is tied for #1 among all returners in three points made in 2024-25 and the first freshman since 2020-21 to record 100+ three pointers in a single season.

- Turner's 105 made threes is the most made in a single season at Gonzaga last season. She broke the record against UTSA to pass Brynna Maxwell's record of 96 in a single season (2023-24). She is one of two players in Gonzaga history, men's or women's, to reach 100 threes in a single season with the only other Bulldog being Dan Dickau in 2001-02.