SAN BRUNO, Calif. – West Coast Conference women’s basketball leaders Gonzaga (19-7, 11-2) and LMU (16-8, 10-3) are set to battle in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon, as the second-place Lions host the first-place Zags at 2 p.m. at Gersten Pavilion.
The Bulldogs, winners of five straight and 13 of their last 15 overall, hold a one-game lead in the conference standings with an 11-2 record. The Lions have won four straight and eight of their last nine overall, entering Saturday 10-3 in conference play.
In the previous meeting between LMU and Gonzaga on Dec. 28, the Bulldogs edged the Lions in double overtime in Spokane, 87-80, in the conference opener for both teams. Allie Turner had a game-high 20 points, while Lauren Whittaker posted 18 points and 16 rebounds in the contest for Gonzaga. Maya Hernandez led the Lions with 18 points in the contest.
Saturday’s slate also features a battle between Santa Clara and Portland in the Rose City at 5 p.m. The Broncos and Pilots are locked in a tie for third place in the conference standings along with Oregon State at 9-4 in league play. Portland enters Saturday’s contest winners of four straight.
The Beavers host Pacific at 2 p.m. and San Francisco hosts Pepperdine as part of the conference’s four-game Saturday slate. All games are available on ESPN+.
Saint Mary’s and Seattle U were originally scheduled to play Saturday, but the game was
postponed to Monday.
LIONS MATCH BEST CONFERENCE START IN 20 YEARS
With a 10-3 record, LMU is off to its best start in conference play in 20 seasons. The Lions also began 10-3 during the 2005-06 season. That team finished conference play 10-4. The 10 conference wins are the most in league play since the 2018-19 season (also had 10 wins). Since the start of the new calendar year, the Lions are averaging 10 more points per game, averaging 76.2 in their last 11 contests.
DISHING OUT DIMES
The West Coast Conference boasts the sixth-highest assist per game average in the nation, at 14.6 assists per contest. Five conference players rank in the top 50 in the nation in assists per game, including Santa Clara’s Ashley Hawkins (14th, 6.1 apg), Oregon State’s Kennedie Shuler (22nd, 5.5 apg), Pacific’s Daria Nestorov (33rd, 5.1 apg) and Portland’s Rhyan Mogel (47th, 4.8 apg).
Three West Coast Conference programs are in the top 50 in the nation in assists per game average – Portland (27th, 17.3), Gonzaga (29th, 17.3) and Santa Clara (43rd, 16.5).
GONZAGA LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
Gonzaga has surrendered an average of 45.7 points in their last three games. The Zags held Oregon State to 37 points on Feb. 5 and Pacific to 44 points on Feb. 7. In Thursday’s win at San Diego, they limited San Diego to 56 points. Gonzaga has averaged 9.3 steals per game in those three contests and held the three opponents to 31.7 percent from the field overall (52-of-164) and 11.3 percent from three-point range (7-of-62).
WEST COAST CONFERENCE RANKS AMONG TOP CONFERENCES IN SEVERAL CATEGORIES
The West Coast Conference ranks among the top eight conferences in Division I in 11 statistical categories. The conference ranks fourth overall in free throw percentage at 72.7 percent, just behind the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East.
| CATEGORY |
RANK |
STATISTIC |
| Free Throw Percentage |
4 |
.727 |
| Assists Per Game |
6 |
14.6 |
| Three-Point FG Percentage |
7 |
.315 |
| Assists |
7 |
4,425 |
| Blocks |
7 |
1,004 |
| Blocks Per Game |
8 |
3.30 |
| Field Goals Made Per Game |
8 |
24.8 |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio |
8 |
0.89 |
| Three-point FG Made |
8 |
1,933 |
| Field Goals Made |
8 |
7,532 |
| Defensive Rebounds |
8 |
7,741 |
A LOOK BACK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION
LMU defeated Pepperdine 72-62
LMU extended its winning streak to four games with double-digit win over Pepperdine in the latest edition of the PCH Cup rivalry. The Lions held the Waves to just eight points in the third quarter to open their lead, en route to the 72-62 win. Jess Lawson led the way with 17 points, while Maya Hernandez added 14 for LMU. Elli Guiney had a game-high 22 points for Pepperdine.
Santa Clara defeated Oregon State, 83-70
In a battle of two teams near the top of the conference standings, Santa Clara outscored Oregon State, 51-22, in the second half to erase a 17-point deficit and earn the road win. Ava Schmidt posted a career-best 25 points and added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season for the Broncos. Jenna Villa recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Beavers. The conference’s top two assist leaders – Santa Clara’s Ashley Hawkins and Oregon State’s Kennedie Shuler – each had nine assists in Thursday’s contest. Santa Clara’s win put the Broncos in a tie for third with the Beavers and Portland at 9-4 in conference play.
Gonzaga defeated San Diego, 66-56
Gonzaga pulled out to a 10-point lead at the half and never looked back, en route to the 66-56 win in San Diego. Freshman Lauren Whittaker posted her 13th double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. She continues to lead all freshmen and ranks 13th overall in the nation in double-doubles. San Diego’s Kylie Ray had a game-high 25 points, while Olivia Owens continued her strong play with her third consecutive double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds).
Portland defeated Washington State, 68-61
Portland erased a double-digit early deficit to storm back and beat Washington State on the road for its fourth straight win. Rhyan Mogel scored a career-high 20 points on four three-pointers to lead the Pilots. Portland finished the contest with 10 three-pointers as a team. Charlotte Abraham led Washington State with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Pacific defeated Saint Mary’s 56-53
In a defensive battle, Pacific used 13 steals and key late-game stops to down Saint Mary’s 56-53. Daria Nestorov’s all-around effort led the Tigers, as she finished with 17 points, six assists and five steals. Sophia Mindermann posted eight points to go along with four steals in the contest. Pacific’s stellar defensive effort held SMC to 2-of-15 (13.3%) from beyond the arc in the contest. Abigail Shoff had 19 points and five rebounds for the Gaels.
MINDERMANN AMONG NINE TRUE FRESHMEN WITH AT LEAST 50 THREE-POINTERS
Pacific’s Sophia Mindermann is one of nine true freshmen with at least 50 three-point field goals this season. Mindermann is 51-of-142 from beyond the arc on the season, connecting on 35.9 percent of her three-point attempts. The 51 three-pointers is tied for sixth among true freshmen.
AWARDS MIDSEASON WATCH LISTS
The West Coast Conference has been represented on several midseason watch lists for major awards. On Jan. 27, Portland’s Julia Dalan, the nation’s leader in blocks per game, was named to the midseason watch list for the Naismith Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year Award. On Jan. 28, Gonzaga’s Lisa Fortier was named to the midseason watch list for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award. On Jan. 21, Gonzaga’s Lauren Whittaker was named to the midseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award.
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 are 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. OSU has 10 student-athletes from six countries. WSU has nine student-athletes from eight countries. The matchups between OSU and USF on Dec. 28th and Jan. 31st featured 21 international student-athletes between the two rosters. It is the second-most in a Division I game this season.