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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga women still have targets on their backs

Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier believes her Bulldogs are still the team to beat heading into the WCC tournament despite a No. 5 seed. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Meehan jimm@spokesman.com(509) 459-5585
Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier believes her Bulldogs are still the team to beat heading into the WCC tournament despite a No. 5 seed. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)

LAS VEGAS – For the first time since 2006, Gonzaga enters the WCC women’s tournament without the No. 1 seed attached to its name.

The Zags are seeded fifth, but coach Lisa Fortier isn’t sure reality matches perception.

“We finished fifth and every team that beat us celebrated on our court, celebrated on their court,” the second-year coach said. “It was like they just won the championship. I don’t think they think we’re a fifth-place team. I still think they think it’s Gonzaga.

“I think that’s nice, I like them to treat us like that because I think we’re that good. It’d be great if somebody would overlook us, but I don’t think that will ever happen.”

No, not with Gonzaga’s background of 11 consecutive regular-season championships, seven straight NCAA tournament appearances and five WCC tournament titles in the last seven years.

BYU ended GU’s run of regular-season titles but the Zags (18-12, 10-8 WCC) thumped the Cougars 73-55 Saturday, knocking BYU out of the USA Today rankings.

Gonzaga opens against No. 4 Santa Clara (22-7, 13-5) Thursday at 8 at the Orleans Arena, where the Zags have a 13-2 tourney record. The Zags and Broncos, whose 22 wins was their most since the 1999 season, split two meetings.

“We played as hard as we could (against BYU),” freshman forward Jill Barta said. “Going forward that’s exactly what we have to do. We have to be the one that wants it more, the one who gets the loose ball and the one who is going to play good defense for 40 minutes.”

Fortier would agree, with a healthy dose of offense to boot. The Zags led the conference in scoring seven of the last eight years but slipped to seventh in this injury-riddled season.

Gonzaga limited the Broncos to just 12 field goals and 44 points in a January win. Santa Clara won the rematch 71-64.

“You have to make baskets at some point,” Fortier said. “You can defend your tail off but if you can’t score … some of the games we struggled in the most are because the offense hasn’t been effective, hasn’t been sharp.”

Gonzaga played some of its best basketball against BYU, and will need more of the same at the tournament.

“We’ve had some great practices, some great weeks, I’m hoping it really translates into the game Thursday,” Fortier said. “We keep thinking if we can get the guards shooting well to go with the bigs dominating inside and have a nice, balanced attack, we’re going to be difficult to deal with.”