No. 20 Gonzaga women down Saint Mary’s 65-51 to finish season unbeaten in the Kennel

It’s not a science, but the Gonzaga women have this routine down pretty well: Win on the boards, find the open 3-point shooter and get the ball to Yvonne Ejim.

The Zags did all three on Saturday in what was probably their last home game of the season, pulling away from Saint Mary’s for a comfortable 65-51 win in a packed McCarthey Athletic Center.

The win was the Zags’ 25th of the season and helped them stay one game ahead of Portland in the race for the West Coast Conference regular-season title.

That will be decided next week, when both teams face tricky road games at San Diego and BYU. The Zags have even more to play for, including the WCC Tournament and potentially home games in the NCAA Tournament if they win out and get some help elsewhere in the country.

No one was talking about that on Saturday. Rather, the players said they were proud of going unbeaten (15-0) this regular season in the Kennel.

“We’re always trying to protect the home court,” said Ejim, who had eight rebounds along with a game-high 25 points.

“We’re always trying to come here and play our best because this is our home and we need to protect our home,” she added.

Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier expounded on that after 20th-ranked Gonzaga improved to 25-3 overall and 15-1 in the WCC.

“If we come out flat, it doesn’t last very long because they’re cheering,” Fortier said. “They keep showing up. They make it so uniquely special.”

Sure enough, GU struggled in the first quarter, which ended with the Zags ahead 9-8. Six of those points came from Ejim, who set the tone for one of the best games of her career.

GU made just 4 of 15 shots in the first quarter; the Gaels were even worse: 3 for 17.

Things got slightly better in the second quarter as Ejim continued to dominate. She had 16 points by halftime and the Zags led 27-20.

GU led by 10 midway through the third quarter when Truong hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 40-24. Gonzaga took its biggest lead of the game (63-43) on a free throw from Maud Huijbens.

Kaylynne Truong finished with 14 points, five assists and three steals.

The Zags are at San Diego on Thursday night and at BYU on Saturday afternoon. Depending on how Portland fares against those teams, GU will need to win at least one game to earn at least a share of the regular-season title.

GU is assured of playing in the semifinals of the WCC Tournament on March 6 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas..