GAME 27: vs #12 BELMONT - NCAA FIRST ROUND - MARCH 22, 2021 GAME TIME: 2 P.M. PT | SITE: TEXAS STATE, STRAHAN ARENA AT THE UEC | SAN MARCOS, TEXAS #UNITEDWEZAG 1 ELITE EIGHT | 4 SWEET 16 APPEARANCES | 11 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES | 17 WCC REGULAR SEASON TITLES | 8 WCC TOURNAMENT TITLES OVERALL: 23-3, 16-1 WCC HOME: 9-0 AWAY: 9-2 NEUTRAL: 5-1 TELEVISION: GU Opp - Gonzaga defeated BYU 43-42 on a last-sec- Date Rank Rank Opponent TV/STREAM Time/Result NOVEMBER ond shot--and only made field goal--from Jill RADIO: Gonzaga IMG Radio Network 28 21/20 -/- ! vs. Oklahoma FloSports Cancelled Townsend to capture the Zags’ ninth tournament Play by Play - Steve Myklebust 29 21/20 1/1 ! vs. South Carolina FloSports L, 79-72 title and berth to their 12th NCAA tournament (not 30 21/20 RV/RV ! vs. South Dakota FloSports W, 54-50 LIVE STATS: GoZags.com DECEMBER including the 2020 NCAA Tournament in which GU 6 18/18 RV/RV at South Dakota State L, 75-72 OT was projected as a No. 3/4 seed but was not the 8 25/25 -/- at Wyoming W, 89-50 WCC automatic qualifier). 13 25/25 -/- MONTANA SWX W, 58-51 - Gonzaga returns to the NCAA Tournament for 20 25/25 -/- # vs. Eastern Michigan South Point W, 77-68 21 23/25 -/- # vs. North Alabama South Point W, 87-57 the 12th time in program history and the fourth- 28 23/23 -/- * at Loyola Marymount W, 65-62 straight season (not including the 2020 NCAA 30 23/23 -/- * at Pepperdine W, 58-42 Tournament that was cancelled due to COVID-19). POINTS JANUARY 71.5 ◀ PER GAME 70.4 2 23/23 -/- * SAINT MARY’S W, 69-37 Gonzaga secured a No. 5 seed for the 2021 tour- 4 21/23 -/- * PACIFIC SWX W, 79-59 nament, which ties the highest seed in program 46.7 ◀ FG% 44.3 9 21/21 -/- * PORTLAND SWX W, 75-43 history. It marks the second-straight tournament ▶ 14 20/19 -/- * at Santa Clara W, 71-52 GU has been a No. 5 seed. In the last NCAA tour- 16 20/19 -/- * at San Francisco W, 76-52 36.2 3FG% 34.7 21 20/18 -/- * SAN DIEGO SWX Postponed nament in 2019, Gonzaga advanced to the NCAA 23 20/18 -/- * BYU SWX Postponed Second Round before falling to No. 4 seed, and 75.5 ◀ FT% 69.7 24 20/18 -/- * at Portland W, 79-61 First and Second Rounds host, Oregon State 76-70. 28 18/17 -/- * at Pacific W, 77-65 REBOUNDS 30 18/17 -/- * at Saint Mary’s W, 79-52 - In 11 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, 39.9 ◀ PER GAME 34.7 FEBRUARY Gonzaga has advanced to the Elite Eight one time 2 19/17 -/- * BYU SWX W, 63-56 (2011), and the Sweet 16 on four separate occa- 17.4 ◀ ASSISTS 15.7 11 17/16 -/- * SAN FRANCISCO SWX W, 79-66 PER GAME sions: 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015. GU owns an even ▶ 13 17/16 -/- * SANTA CLARA SWX W, 67-50 BLOCKS 18 16/16 -/- * at BYU L, 61-56 11-11 record in the NCAA Tournament. 3.0 PER GAME 2.8 20 16/16 -/- * at San Diego ROOT W, 69-47 - With the win, GU improved to 23-3 on the season. 25 21/19 -/- * PEPPERDINE SWX W, 95-49 It marks the fifth-straight 20-win season for the 7.5 STEALS ▶ 10.9 27 21/19 -/- * LOYOLA MARYMOUNT SWX W, 77-39 PER GAME Zags, and the 19th 20-win season in program ▶ MARCH SCORING 8 16/15 -/- ^ #4 Santa Clara ROOT/BYUTV W, 72-62 history. 54.9 DEFENSE 58.1 9 16/15 -/- ^ #2 BYU ESPNU W, 43-42 -Gonzaga has twice played on March 22, with 22 14/13 -/- !#12 Belmont ESPN2 1 p.m. PT FG% both games coming during the NCAA Tournament. 37.7 ◀ DEFENSE 38.9 All times are Pacific and HOME GAMES are in all caps The Zags carry a perfect 2-0 mark on the day; GU Rank: AP Top 25 / USA Today Coaches’ Poll first faced Texas A&M on March 22, collecting a 3FG% 30.9 DEFENSE ▶ 28.9 ! Bad Boy Mowers Crosover Classic- Sioux Falls, SD (Sanford Pentagon) 72-71 victory in the NCAA Second Round in 2010. # Las Vegas Tournament (Arena TBA) The last time GU played on March 22 was during +13.6 ◀ REBOUND +4.7 * West Coast Conference game the 2015 season, Head Coach Lisa Fortier’s first MARGIN ^ WCC Championships - Las Vegas, Nev. (Orleans Arena) ! NCAA Tournament - San Antonio, Texas as the Zags HC, defeating Oregon State 76-64 in 1.2 ◀ AST-TO 1.1 Corvallis to advance to the Sweet 16. RATIO - The Zags secured the outright West Coast ON THIS DATE ... PROBABLE STARTERS Gonzaga has twice played on March 22, with both games coming during the NCAA Tournament. The Zags carry a perfect 2-0 mark on the day; GU first faced Texas A&M on March 22, collecting a 72-71 victory in the NCAA Second Round in 2010. The last time GU played on March 22 was during the 2015 season, Head Coach Lisa Fortier’s first as the Zags HC, defeating Oregon State 76- 64 in Corvallis to advance to the Sweet 16. TOWNSEND KAYLEIGH TRUONG WALKER J. WIRTH L. WIRTH SOCIAL MEDIA: MIN -- 26.4 MIN -- 24.5 MIN -- 25.1 MIN -- 25.6 MIN -- 22.5 Follow GONZAGA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL on social media for up-to-date news, exclusive PPG -- 13.4 PPG -- 7.9 PPG -- 6.8 PPG -- 12.8 PPG -- 8.9 content and more. Follow us on Facebook, FG% -- 49.1 FG% -- 38.6 FG% -- 37.5 FG% -- 54.3 FG% -- 56.2 Instagram and Twitter @ZagWBB 3FG% -- 40.3 3FG% -- 34.5 3FG% -- 41.1 3FG% -- 0.00 3FG% -- 25.0 SPORTS INFO: AST -- 2.5 AST -- 4.1 AST -- 1.2 REB -- 8.2 REB -- 5.9 Sports Information Director ...Jenna Larson Office Phone .......................(509) 313-4227 REB -- 5.0 STL -- 1.1 REB -- 2.6 BLK-- 0.7 BLK -- 0.5 Email ..................... [email protected] GONZAGA UNIVERSITY / BULLDOGS / WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GENERAL Conference regular-season title with a 95-49 the fourth-straight 25+ win season and 12th 25+ Location ..........................................Spokane, Wash. victory over Pepperdine on Feb. 25 inside the win season in the last 13 seasons. Founded ...............................................................1887 McCarthey Athletic Center. It’s the fifth-straight Total Enrollment .................................................7,501 regular-season title for the Zags and the 17th in SERIES NOTES Undergraduate .............................................5,201 program history. - HOME: 0-0 Master’s Students ........................................1,688 - Gonzaga concluded the regular season with - ROAD: 0-0 Doctoral Students ...........................................287 another dominating performance, defeating - NEUTRAL: 0-1, Belmont leads - ONLY MEETING: Belmont won 71-63 in the Law Students ...................................................316 visiting LMU 77-39 on Senior Day on Feb. 27. It Play4Kay Showcase in Las Vegas on Nov. 23, extended the nation’s leading home win streak Campus Size.............................................. 152 acres 2017. to 25 straight games. The Zags haven’t lost a Nickname ....................................................Bulldogs - STREAK: Belmont, Won 1 Colors ..............................................Navy and White game in the Kennel since the 2018-19 season. Currently, Gonzaga is tied with Stephen F. Aus- Conference................................ West Coast (WCC) SCOUTING THE BRUINS tin for the nation’s longest win streak. Maryland - Belmont carries a 20-5 overall record and a is third with 22 straight, while South Dakota (20 ADMINISTRATION 14-3 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference, secur- straight) and Rice (19 straight) round out the President ......................... Dr. Thayne M. McCulloh ing the No. 2 seed in the OVC Championships. top five. Athletic Director ...................................... Mike Roth - The Bruins advanced to the finals, defeating - With the win over Loyola Marymount on Feb. Athletic Phone ...................................(509) 313-4202 top-seeded UT Martin 83-75 to secure the auto- 27, Gonzaga finished undefeated at home for Ticket Office Phone...........................(509) 313-6000 matic bid to the NCAA tournament. In doing so, the fifth time in program history and the sec- the Bruins became just the third program from ond-straight season. It also marks the eighth SPORTS INFORMATION the OVC to ever make five conference tourna- undefeated home conference slate in program Sports Information Director (WBB) Jenna Larson ment championships in a six-year span. history. Office Phone .................................(509) 313-4227 - Belmont is making its sixth NCAA Tournament Cell Phone .....................................(208) 479-4910 - Gonzaga collected five WCC All-Conference honors this season, tying BYU for league-lead- appearance and fifth in the last six years. Email [email protected] ing honors. Senior Jenn Wirth picked up Player - Belmont navigated nine game postponements SID Mailing Address of the Year honors--the first of her career--and and two cancellations during the COVID-19 ......................................................Gonzaga Athletics the second-straight Zag and third in the last pandemic. .......................................................502 E. Boone Ave. four seasons to earn the top award. Wirth was - Heading into the tournament, the Bruins have ..........................................Spokane, WA 99258-0066 also selected to the All-WCC First Team along won 10 consecutive games by an average of Web Site .....................................www.GoZags.com with Jill Townsend, the second such award for 15.2 points per game, and they rank inside the Twitter ......................................................@ZagWBB both. Melody Kempton was named the first-ev- Top 50 nationally in 14 statistical categories, Instagram ................................................@ZagWBB er WCC Sixth Woman of the Year along with including the sixth-most steals (272) and 15th- Facebook .................................................../ZagWBB Honorable Mention All-WCC, the first all-con- most three-point field goals made (217).