WCC Showdown: Unstoppable Titans Face Off in Week Three Thriller!

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – In a clash of undefeated conference teams, Saint Mary’s travels to San Francisco on Thursday evening to emphasize week three of West Coast Conference women’s basketball. The Gaels (4-0) and Dons (3-0) are part of the three unblemished squads in conference games, along with Washington State (3-0). All three clubs approach Thursday with four consecutive wins. Week three of the WCC includes five contests on both Thursday and Saturday, all accessible on ESPN+.

 

WCC POINTS IN THE PAINT PODCAST

The WCC POINTS IN THE PAINT women’s basketball podcast premiered on Dec. 27. Presented by Ann Schatz and Mary Murphy, the podcast analyzes the previous week’s encounters, offers thorough insights into upcoming games, and features a guest every episode. Complete episodes can be found on the WCC’s YouTube channel (YouTube.com/WCCsports), in addition to Apple and Spotify podcasts. The next episode is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 2, with all subsequent episodes releasing on Wednesdays throughout the conference season.

 

 

FAST FACTS

3 – Only three teams have managed to remain undefeated after two weeks of WCC competition. Saint Mary’s stands at 4-0, while Washington State and San Francisco are both 3-0.

 

10 –With a record of 4-0, Saint Mary’s has its best beginning in WCC action in a decade, mirroring their 4-0 start in the 2014-15 conference season.

 

24 – San Francisco has opened its first three WCC encounters with a victory for the first time in 24 years. The Dons last began the league slate 3-0 during the 2000-01 campaign.

 

NOTES

Every team has participated in a minimum of three conference games, leading to three unbeaten teams at the pinnacle of the WCC standings. Saint Mary’s is 4-0, while Washington State and San Francisco are 3-0. Both Portland and Oregon State have sustained one loss, with the Beavers delivering the Pilots their first defeat of the season on Monday.

 

This week’s agenda showcases five games on Thursday and another five on Saturday. The Thursday lineup is led by a clash of two of the WCC’s three undefeated teams in conference play, as Saint Mary’s challenges San Francisco. Additionally, on Thursday, Portland will take on Gonzaga in the Rose City, a rematch of the championship game from the 2024 Credit Union 1 WCC Championship – a contest the Pilots triumphed in, 67-66, in Las Vegas. Saturday’s contests include a showdown of WCC affiliates Oregon State (2-1) against Washington State (3-0).

 

Saint Mary’s holds a 4-0 record in WCC action for the first time since the 2014-15 season following victories over Pacific and San Diego. The Gaels triumphed despite trailing by double digits in both matches, edging Pacific 80-78 in overtime and San Diego 85-75. Zeryhia Aokuso led Saint Mary’s with a combined total of 37 points across the two games. Aokuso secured the winning shot at the buzzer against Pacific, finishing with 16 points and five rebounds. She posted a season-high of 21 points against San Diego, making 6-of-8 from the field and 9-of-11 at the free throw line, adding four rebounds and a game-high six assists. Aokuso is averaging over seven assists per game during SMC’s four-game winning streak. Maia Jones made a significant contribution off the bench against Pacific, scoring a team-high 23 points.

 

San Francisco has claimed four consecutive wins overall and stands at 3-0 in WCC play, with each victory coming by double-digit margins. The Dons achieved their first three WCC triumphs since the 2000-01 season. USF secured a pair of road victories at LMU and Santa Clara in the past week, with Emma Trawally Porta leading the squad, averaging 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. At LMU, Trawally Porta recorded 18 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. She followed with a near double-double at Santa Clara with 17 points and nine rebounds. In conference action, San Francisco ranks second in scoring, averaging 74.3 points per game.

 

Washington State has gained four consecutive victories to elevate their overall record to 8-6 and 3-0 in the WCC. In a 67-46 win against Pepperdine, 11 players contributed to the scoring, led by Tara Wallack, Charlotte Abraham, and Jenna Villa, each with 12 points. The Cougars made 11 three-pointers and tallied nine blocks in the win against the Waves. Against Pacific, Eleonora Villa matched her career-best with 20 points, as the Cougars outscored the Tigers by 12 in the second half to secure a 74-66 victory. Washington State ranks second in the nation for blocking at 7.2 per game and in WCC matches, the Cougars are averaging 9.3 blocks per contest. They are also limiting conference opponents to a league-low of 51.3 points per game and possess an average victory margin of 17.3 – only trailing Portland (17.8).

 

After commencing the week with a commanding 81-54 victory at Santa Clara to enhance its program-record streak to 14 wins without defeat, Portland received a singular vote in Monday’s Associated Press national poll. The Pilots lost their first match of the season later that same day, succumbing to Oregon State, 76-72, in overtime in a thrilling contest featuring 15 lead changes. Maisie Burnham and Emme Shearer each scored 21, and the Pilots accumulated 11 steals in the fiercely contested game against the Beavers. In WCC competition, the Pilots lead in scoring (80.0) and in margin of victory (17.8).

 

Oregon State achieved back-to-back overtime victories on the road against Gonzaga (71-67) and previously unbeaten Portland (76-72) this past week. WCC Player of the Week, Kelsey Rees, set and redefined her career scoring record with 21 points at Gonzaga and 25 against Portland. She also averaged 10.5 rebounds while shooting 70.8 percent from the field during the two victories.

 

The Beavers were trailing late in both encounters, mounting comebacks to clinch both wins in overtime. OSU erased a 12-point deficit at Gonzaga with 3:08 remaining, going on a 12-0 run to force overtime. A three-pointer by Ally Schimel with 1:42 left in overtime gave the Beavers a 69-67 advantage, leading to their ultimate victory. Trailing Portland 60-54 midway through the fourth quarter, Rees spearheaded Oregon State’s rally with seven points down the stretch, including a key layup with 30 seconds remaining to force overtime. Rees added five more points in the extra period as the Beavers outscored the Pilots 11-7 to secure the win.

 

Gonzaga rebounded from its overtime defeat to Oregon State on Saturday with a decisive 75-54 victory against Pepperdine on Monday. Yvonne Ejim averaged 22.5 points during the Zags’ two games, extending her double figures scoring streak to 57 games. Ejim, who registered an average of 8.0 rebounds per game,moved into second place all-time in career rebounds at Gonzaga with 938. She has accumulated 1,971 career points, ranking fourth in school history and sixth on the WCC’s all-time scoring list.

 

Olivia Pollerd maintained her excellent performance for Santa Clara across two games, averaging 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per contest. In the game against San Francisco, she achieved a double-double with 13 points and a personal best of 12 rebounds. Pollerd marked her 1,000th career point with her performance against USF. Having transferred to Santa Clara after a single season at Washington, she heads into this week’s games just six points away from 1,000 during her tenure with the Broncos. SCU will face Washington State in Pullman on Thursday, revisiting last season’s second-round encounter in the WBIT.

 

Liz Smith of Pacific recorded a career-high 30 points in the Tigers’ overtime defeat to Saint Mary’s. She contributed 17 points in a loss against Washington State. Over the week, the senior had an average of 23.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. Anaya James achieved her 500th career assist against the Gaels, becoming the second Tiger in program history to reach that milestone.

 

LMU suffered a defeat in its only matchup of the week, losing to San Francisco 85-73. Four athletes scored in double digits, spearheaded by Naudia Evans, who tallied 25 points, seven assists, and three steals. Evans continues to share the national lead in assists per game with an average of 7.3.

 

Ella Brubaker from Pepperdine averaged 16.0 points against Washington State and Gonzaga over the past week. The senior guard successfully made 7-of-12 from beyond the arc for the week. Freshman Chloe Sotell recorded seven assists against Gonzaga, raising her assist-to-turnover ratio to 2.8, which ranks fifth in the WCC during conference play.

 

Ava Ranson of San Diego tops the WCC in steals per game, averaging 3.0 steals per outing in conference competition. In USD’s sole game this past week, against Saint Mary’s, she posted 16 points, seven assists, and one steal.