SAN BRUNO, Calif. – West Coast Conference leaders Gonzaga and Oregon State clash in Corvallis Thursday night as the Bulldogs and the Beavers square off at 6 p.m. at Gill Coliseum. Both teams are 14-6 overall and 6-1 in conference play tied for first place in the standings.
LMU and Portland will meet in Los Angeles in a battle of 5-2 teams in league play, as part of a full six-game conference slate Thursday on ESPN+.
THREE IN THE TOP 84 IN NET RANKINGS
Three West Coast Conference teams rank in the top 84 in the NET rankings through Tuesday’s action. Gonzaga is at No. 65, Santa Clara is at No. 67 and Oregon State is at No. 84.
WHITTAKER LONE FRESHMAN ON MIDSEASON WATCH LIST FOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Gonzaga’s Lauren Whittaker was the lone freshman named to the midseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award on Wednesday. Whittaker is one of just four freshmen to be named on any of the watch lists in the award’s history. She leads the West Coast Conference in scoring (19.3 ppg), rebounding (10.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (.575) and leads all freshmen nationally with 10 double-doubles on the season. Whittaker is 17th nationally in total points (386) and 28th in the country in points per game. The forward is 12th nationally in total rebounds (203) and 24th in the country in rebounds per game. Whittaker also ranks eighth nationally in defensive rebounds per game (8.3), 21st in field goals made (142), 24th in field goal percentage and 44th in free throws made (77). She ranks in the top three among freshmen nationally in nine categories. Along with double-doubles, she ranks first nationally among freshmen in field goal percentage and defensive rebounds. The forward ranks second among freshmen nationally in points, points per game, rebounds, defensive rebounds per game and field goals made. She is third among freshmen nationally in free throws made.
SANTA CLARA LEADS THE CONFERENCE IN NINE STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
Santa Clara leads the West Coast Conference in nine statistical categories, including scoring (81.0 ppg), rebounding (43.5 rpg), total rebounds (914), three-point field goals (200), blocks (128), assists (354), scoring margin (+15.4), turnover margin (+5.1), assist/turnover ratio (1.50).
Gonzaga ranks in the top three in the conference in seven statistical categories, including field goal percentage (1, .468), three-point field goal percentage (1, .410), rebounding margin (1, +11.1), scoring (2, 72.8 ppg), assists (2, 17.4 apg), three-point field goals (2, 148), and rebounding (3, 39.4 rpg).
ZAGS LEAD THE NATION IN THREE-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Gonzaga leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 41.0% from beyond the arc. The Zags, who are the only team shooting better than 40% in the country, have connected on 148 of 361 attempts. Sophomore Allie Turner is sixth in the nation, shooting 46.6% (54-of-116) from deep.
FOUR GUARDS AMONG TOP 21 NATIONALLY IN ASSISTS
Since West Coast Conference play began (Dec. 28), four players rank in the top 21 nationally in assists per game - Ashley Hawkins 8th (6.5), Rhyan Mogel 17th (6.0), Kennedie Shuler 17th (6.0) and Aina Cargol 21st (5.9).
DALAN LEADS NATION IN BLOCKS
Portland freshman Julia Dalan leads the nation in blocks (65) and blocks per game (3.42). Dalan matched her career high with eight blocks, first recorded against No. 11 USC Nov. 18., in last week’s win at Santa Clara. The Portland freshman is the only player in the nation to have multiple games of at least eight blocks this season and one of just 11 freshmen to have recorded multiple games with at least eight blocks since 2009-10. Dalan has recorded multiple blocks in 15 of 19 games. She was the fastest Pilot freshman to 50 blocks and is two shy of the Portland freshman record for blocks in a season.
LIONS SURGING
LMU has won three straight overall after defeating Oregon State at home and Pacific on the road last week. The Lions outscored Pacific, 22-9, in the first quarter and never looked back en route to the 74-54 win Saturday. The 20-point win was the largest margin of victory against a West Coast Conference opponent since the Lions defeated San Francisco by 21 (66-45) in its opening game of the 2019 West Coast Conference Tournament on March 8, 2019.
LAWSON IN CONFERENCE PLAY
LMU’s Jess Lawson, the West Coast Conference Player of the Week, is averaging 15.1 points per game overall and 16.1 ppg in conference play. She posted 16 rebounds last Thursday in the win over Oregon State, two shy of her career-best total. In league action, Lawson is averaging 8.1 rebounds per contest. Lawson ranks fifth in the West Coast Conference in scoring and third in rebounding during league contests.
SANTA CLARA MATCHES BEST START IN 25 YEARS
Santa Clara is right behind Gonzaga and Oregon State at 6-2 in the conference standings. At 16-5 overall, the Broncos have matched their best 21-game start in 25 seasons. Maia Jones and Ava Schmidt powered the Broncos Saturday with 17 points and six rebounds apiece in their win over Saint Mary’s.
BALANCED BRONCO ATTACK
Santa Clara’s balanced attack includes five Broncos averaging double figures in the scoring column. Maia Jones leads the way at 15.0 ppg, while Sophie Glancey is averaging 14.6 ppg, Ashley Hawkins is averaging 12.7 ppg, Ava Schmidt is contributing 10.7 ppg and Kylee Fox is averaging 10.1 ppg. Glancey, who has missed the last two games, is the Broncos’ leader in rebounding at 7.0 rpg, while Schmidt is averaging 5.0 rpg. Hawkins leads the conference in assists at 6.1 apg overall and 6.5 apg in conference play. Her 129 total assists is the eighth-most in the nation through Tuesday’s action. Schmidt ranks 10th in the nation in total blocks at 46.
SHULER ONE OF ONE
Oregon State’s Kennedie Shuler is the only Division I player averaging at least 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game this season. She is one of seven players to meet these thresholds in the last 10 seasons. Shuler is averaging 10.7 points, 5.6 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.95 blocks per game. She ranks 15th nationally in total assists (111) and 24th in the country in assists per game.
CARGOL’S INCREASED PRODUCTION IN LEAGUE PLAY
San Francisco freshman Aina Cargol ranks fifth in the West Coast Conference in assists per game (4.8 apg) during league play. She is coming off a six-assist performance in USF’s last game and has posted at least five assists in each of her last five games.
INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE
The West Coast Conference has the greatest percentage of international student-athletes of any Division I conference in the nation. Overall, 44.1% of rostered student-athletes across the 12 programs are from outside of the U.S. There is a total of 71 international student-athletes on rosters in the conference this season. San Francisco boasts the most with 11 international student-athletes from eight different countries. Oregon State has10 international student-athletes from six countries. Washington State has nine international student-athletes from eight countries. The Dec. 28 game between Oregon State and San Francisco featured 21 international student-athletes between the two rosters. It was the second-most in a Division I game this season.