GONZAGA (11-5) at SANTA CLARA (12-4)
SUNDAY, JAN. 4 | NOON | SANTA CLARA, CALIF. | LEAVEY CENTER (4,200)
RADIO: 101.5 FM | GAME NOTES
TV: ESPN+ | LIVE STATS

THE TIPOFF
- The Gonzaga women's basketball team stays on the road to play Santa Clara this Sunday, Jan. 4. The Zags are coming off an 85-59 win at Seattle, marking head coach Lisa Fortier's 300th win.

- Freshman Lauren Whittaker is shooting at 56.4% from the floor, which ranks first in the West Coast Conference and 31st in the nation. With 310 points so far this season, she is second in scoring among other freshmen in the country and 10th overall. 

- Gonzaga is currently ranked fourth in the country and first in the WCC in three-point percentage at 39.5%. Individually, Allie Turner leads the team in made threes this season with 43 and ranks ninth nationally.

- The Zags have outrebounded their opponents in 15 games this year and has a rebound margin of +10.3 to rank 24th in the country and first in the WCC.

- Whittaker has scored at least 20 points in seven games so far this year. She has reached double figures in scoring in 15 games played and has seven double doubles, which is a GU freshman record.  Her 156 rebounds rank third among freshmen in the nation and sixth overall. 

- 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.

- 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 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 300-79 in her career. Among active Division I coaches with at least five years at the level, she is currently ranked sixth in winning percentage (.792). Fortier is also now in second place on the WCC career coaching wins list with 174 and ranks first in winning percentage in WCC games at 87.4% (174-25). 

THE SERIES
SERIES INFO: Gonzaga leads the series overall 52-30

STREAK: Gonzaga - 4

FIRST MEETING: In 1988, Gonzaga won at home, 59-45.

LAST MEETING: In 2025, the Zags went 2-0 against SCU with the most recent one on the road, 68-61.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
- Santa Clara is 12-4 overall and 2-1 in WCC play, averaging 82.2 points per game with a scoring margin of +19.1. 

- Sophie Glancey (15.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Maia Jones (14.0 ppg) lead a balanced offense that hits 9.4 threes per game. 

- Ashley Hawkins adds 11.7 points and a team-high 95 assists, helping SCU average nearly 18 assists per game. 

- SCU has won seven of its last eight, including WCC wins over San Diego and Seattle U before its loss at LMU. 

300 WINS
- Head coach Lisa Fortier and her staff reached 300 wins on Jan 2 against Seattle. This victory marked a significant milestone for head coach Lisa Fortier, as it was her 300th career win, making her the fastest coach in GU history to reach this achievement. 

- Among active Division I women's basketball head coaches, Fortier and LSU's Kim Mulkey each captured their 300th career Division I win in their 379th career game. Connecticut's Geno Auriemma is the third-fastest active Division I head coach to reach 300 career Division I victories, collecting the milestone win in his 386th career game. 

FRESHMAN DUO
- Against Pepperdine, Jaiden Haile led with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting and added 12 rebounds, marking her first double double. This performance was part of a historic moment for GU, as it's the first time in their history to have two freshmen achieve a stat line of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds each in a season. 

- Only two other freshmen in GU history have reached that stat line which was Heather Bowman (2006) and Jill Barta (2016).

- Haile and Whittaker join an elite list as only 10 other freshmen in GU history have recorded a double double (Jill Barta, Heather Bowman, Anne Bailey, Kelly Bowen, Janelle Bekkering, Courtney Vandersloot, Jenn Wirth, Ashley Anderson, Emma Wolfram, Shelby Cheslek).

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.

- Against Missouri State, Whittaker recorded 16 rebounds and her fourth double double of the year. The 16 rebounds marks second in a single game record for freshmen, only behind Anne Bailey with 20.

- 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 currently has seven double doubles on the season and holds the GU record for most as a freshman. She also ranks seventh in the nation in double doubles and first among freshmen.

- So far this season, Whittaker has had seven 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 seven 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)

Triple Threats All Around
- Against UC Davis, Gonzaga made its most threes in a game so far this season with 12. Five Bulldogs made at least one three in the game including Zeryhia Aokuso, Ines Bettencourt, Teryn Gardner, Allie Turner, and Lauren Whittaker. 

- Five players scored a three pointer in the game against ASU as the team made 10 or more for the second-straight time this season. 

- Six Zags have a shooting percentage beyond the arc above 35% (Bettencourt, Gardner, Lofing, Turner, and Whittaker and Wilson). 

- While Turner has made the most three pointers with 43 at 44.3%, Gardner is shooting a team-best 48.9% with 23 made this season. 

A.T. = Automatic from 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.