By John Crumpacker
#WCChoops Columnist
COMPLETE CRUMPACKER ARCHIVES
What was thought to be an unpredictable scramble on the women’s side of the WCC Tournament turned out to be chalk, at least to this point.
Monday’s semifinals at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas feature the top four seeds, with 1 Gonzaga taking on 4 San Francisco at noon followed by 2 BYU and 3 Saint Mary’s at 2 p.m.
Maybe now the scramble will be on. Maybe 4 will beat 1 and 3 will top 2. Regular season results suggest it’s certainly possible. Gonzaga and USF split their series, with each team winning at home. Likewise, BYU and Saint Mary’s both won at home and lost on the road in their series.
After unexpectedly dropping its first two conference games, Gonzaga beat USF on Jan. 5 in what was the start of a 12-game winning streak. The Zags went on to win the regular season title with a 14-4 record, bolstered by a strong front line of 6-foot-3 Jill Barta, 6-2 Kiara Kudron and 6-2 Elle Tinkle.
“They’re playing very well,’’ Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said of the Dons. “They’re led by their three starting guards. We need to do a better job of pressuring and helping each other defensively. The last time we played them we really struggled on the defensive end. We gave up way too many points.’’
The Dons, defending WCC Tournament champions, don’t have quite the team that they did last year but still managed an 11-7 conference mark under first-year coach Molly Goodenbour. They finished the regular season on a roll by winning four straight as guard Rachel Howard scored 23, 19, 29 and 37 points. USF will need her to be at her best against the 24-6 Zags.
“I’m really pleased with the way our team has played these last four regular season games,’’ Goodenbour said. “We did a good job of sharing the ball. We feel good about where we are.’’
Asked about having three days off after their opening win against Loyola Marymount, USF guard Anna Seilund said, “We’re here on business. It’s about basketball. I’m going to go (back to the hotel) and put my legs in an ice bath.’’
Of all the things to do in Las Vegas, putting one’s legs in a bathtub of ice probably wouldn’t crack the Top 10 on most people’s lists. But there’s a semifinal game to be played, and Seilund wanted to be at her best facing the top seed in the conference.
The second semifinal could be more of a tossup as BYU and Saint Mary’s tied for second in conference with 13-5 records. BYU defeated Saint Mary’s by five points at home, 70-65, while the Gaels topped the Cougars by six in Moraga, 64-58. An even closer game on a neutral court could augur, although BYU always travels well and figures to have more fan support at the Orleans than Saint Mary’s.
The Cougars feature the WCC Player of the Year in guard Cassie Broadhead as well as the Defensive Player of the Year in do-everything forward Kalani Purcell. Broadhead averaged 18.3 points per game while the 6-2 Purcell was the only player in the conference to average a double-double with 12.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game to go with 4.9 assists and 2.4 steals.
Saint Mary’s counters with a balanced starting five led by all-conference guard Stella Beck and forward Sydney Raggio. All five starters average between 13.9 (Beck) and 8.6 (Devyn Galland) points per game, making it difficult for opponents to focus their defensive efforts.
“As coach (Paul Thomas) always says, we don’t need hero play,’’ Raggio said. “Everything has started to click these last four games.’’
The Gaels won their last three regular season games and bested Santa Clara in the opening round 60-57 to reach the semifinals on three days’ rest. Playing a day later, BYU needed to go to overtime to beat San Diego 75-66 in its opening game.