Women’s basketball: Gonzaga focuses on defense for last week of regular season
It’s no secret what the two most difficult challenges the Gonzaga women’s basketball team has had this season.
Turnovers and defense.
The Zags have a chance to commit the most turnovers under 11-year coach Lisa Fortier. What makes the statistic even more glaring is the Zag’ inability to force teams into turnovers.
Translation: Gonzaga’s defense struggles mightily at times.
There are ways to lessen the impact of both, but 29 games into the season seems to suggest it may be too late to change bad habits.
Gonzaga needs to play well in the final week of the regular season. The Bulldogs need to create some momentum going into the West Coast Conference Tournament.
The Zags appeared to regress last week in a narrow win over Saint Mary’s and a 70-68 loss to San Francisco, the second defeat against the Dons.
First up this week is Pacific in Stockton, California, on Thursday. The Zags held off the Tigers 68-64 on Feb. 1 in McCarthey Athletic Center.
Fortier gave her team Sunday off so the five players who were celebrated on Senior Day could enjoy some time with family who traveled far for the special day.
“Monday they need to be ready to go to work,” Fortier said. “Pacific has been problematic for us. They’re a good team.”
Just before the departing Zags spoke to the crowd, Fortier praised her team for how much it has improved since the start of the season.
No doubt. But one has to wonder if the Zags peaked two weeks ago or if last week was an anomaly.
Senior Day leftovers
Redshirt junior guard Bree Salenbien chose to go through Senior Day with Yvonne Ejim, Maud Huijbens, Esther Little and Tayla Dalton.
It was Salenbien’s second consecutive start and 15th game this season after returning from a third knee surgery. In four seasons, she’s played in just 56 games.
Salenbien told the crowd afterward that she thought she’d never play in Senior Day because of injuries.
Each celebrant has a story to tell of her Gonzaga career. For Huijbens, GU provided an opportunity to start over after a horrible experience as a freshman at Syracuse.
“When I came here, I wanted to become the best player I could be,” Huijbens told the crowd.
All Ejim has done in five seasons is rewrite the record book. She thanked many people, including her professors.
It was an especially emotional week for Fortier and Ejim. Fortier said the two took some time after practice Friday to share with each other and shed some tears.
“This group has bought into the process,” Fortier said. “Vonnie could have gone anywhere in the country last year. Anywhere in the country. I’m not saying minus South Carolina – she could have gone literally anywhere. And she decided to stay here. So this group has won a ton of games, they’ve scored a bunch of points, they’ve broken a bunch of records, all that stuff. But it’s really just the quality of person that each are. They are high-level quality people who are like the epitome of what it means to be process oriented.”
Washington State’s players put together a video to honor their lone senior, Tara Wallack.
Wallack made her 100th career start on Senior Day.
“Where do I start?” Astera Tuhina said. “Thanks for being there for me – always. Looking forward to maybe in a couple years playing on the same team as you somewhere in Europe.”
“Tara, I love you so much,” Alex Covill said. “I’m going to miss you so much next year. Thank you for being such a great role model and thank you for being such a great senior.”
“And you’re my favorite blond Canadian,” Eleonora Villa said. “And I’m going to wait for you in Italy.”
Wallack put together a video she shared with her family, friends and teammates.
“Being a Coug means everything to me,” she said. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me over these four years. … And a message to my team: I’m going to miss you guys so much. You guys are going to do amazing things. And I cannot wait to see you all grow.”
Finalizing seeds
Gonzaga (20-9, 15-3) and Portland (26-3, 15-3) are still battling to determine the top two seeds in the WCC.
If both teams win their final two games, Gonzaga would get the top seed based on sweeping the Pilots.
Portland finishes with games at San Francisco and Pacific. Although the Pilots beat those teams earlier, San Francisco and Pacific will likely play well at home.
Washington State (18-12, 13-6) can clinch the No. 3 seed with a win at Pepperdine on Thursday.
Oregon State (15-14, 11-7) has no worse than the fourth seed.
Eagles slide
Eastern Washington (10-17, 6-9) was swept at home last week and finds itself in a three-way tie for fifth with Idaho State (11-15, 6-9) and Montana (10-16, 6-9).
EWU is on the road this week at Weber State (11-14, 8-7) on Thursday and at Idaho State on Saturday before finishing at home Monday against Montana.