Intense Rivalries Heat Up the WCC Women’s Basketball Scene

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Currently, there is a tie amongst five teams for the top position in the West Coast Conference women’s basketball standings, with Gonzaga, Portland, San Francisco, Saint Mary’s, and Washington State all positioned at 5-2 in league play. Oregon State trails the leaders at 4-2.

This week highlights critical matchups featuring top-ranked teams Washington State visiting San Francisco, and Portland facing off against Gonzaga. Both Pepperdine and LMU are set to resume play following last week’s postponements due to fires in Southern California. In week five, there will be five games scheduled for both Thursday and Saturday, all accessible on ESPN+.

WCC POINTS IN THE PAINT PODCAST

The WCC POINTS IN THE PAINT women’s basketball podcast, hosted by Ann Schatz and Mary Murphy, reviews the prior week’s events, provides detailed analysis of upcoming games, and includes a guest each week. Full episodes can be found on the WCC’s YouTube channel (YouTube.com/WCCsports), in addition to Apple and Spotify podcasts. New episodes are released every Wednesday.

Fast Facts

1- Portland’s McKelle Meek heads the nation in assist/turnover ratio at 4.11, having achieved 12 games this season with one turnover or fewer.

6- Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim now holds 2,020 career points, ranking sixth in all-time scoring in WCC history.

10 – Washington State has notched ten games this season with seven or more shot blocks.

NOTES

Gonzaga triumphed in its sole matchup of the week, defeating Washington State in a regional clash in the Palouse. The Bulldogs have secured four consecutive victories, placing themselves within the five-way tie at the top. Allie Turner received the Heluva Good Dip WCC Freshman of the Week award for her performance against Washington State, matching her career-high of 20 points along with six rebounds and five assists. Turner is among just nine freshmen in the nation this season to record 20 or more points, five or more rebounds, and five or more assists in a single game. Yvonne Ejim, who was recently selected to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List, scored in double digits for the 60th consecutive game in the win against Washington State. She ranks third all-time at GU in scoring with 2,020 points (146 points away from overtaking Heather Bowman for first), and she is now sixth in WCC all-time scoring history. Ejim is also second all-time in rebounds at 964 (20 shy of passing Kay Koppelman for the top spot).

San Francisco faced losses in both of its matchups against Oregon State and Portland. Freja Werth topped San Francisco’s scoring in both contests, averaging 19 points per game across the two games. Emma Trawally Porta notched her third double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds while Cami Fulcher achieved double figures for the first time this season with 17 points against Oregon State. The Dons are leading the league in total rebounds (40.1 per game) and rank second in the conference for scoring defense (64.3 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (opponents are shooting 37.7% overall).

Washington State divided its matchups, winning against Saint Mary’s in Moraga before succumbing to Gonzaga at home. The Cougars recorded a +16 rebounding margin (42-26) against Saint Mary’s, the team’s largest since a +26 (46-20) margin from a previous season against Houston on Dec. 17, 2023. In the loss against Gonzaga, Eleonora Villa achieved career highs of 24 points and five 3-pointers. Alex Covill also entered the double figures category with 12 points, marking her fifth consecutive game in double digits. Covill is just two blocks away from breaking into the WSU all-time top-10 list. Tara Wallack now has 137 career blocks, ranking fifth all-time at WSU. The Cougars registered seven blocks against Gonzaga, marking their 10th game this season with seven or more blocks.

Portland secured a win in its only game of the week after its road game at Pepperdine was postponed. The Pilots prevailed over San Francisco, 74-60, overcoming the Dons with a strong fourth quarter (19-8 scoring). Portland tallied eight blocks, with Trista Hull contributing six blocks individually. Hull also recorded a game-high 10 rebounds, while Maisie Burnham topped four players in double figures with 18 points. The Pilots’ impressive 16-2 start is their best since the 1996-97 season.

Saint Mary’s managed a split in its two home games, losing to Washington State but bouncing back against Pacific. The Gaels’ defense restricted the Tigers to a season-low of 44 points on 35 percent shooting. Additionally, they forced 22 turnovers, marking the fourth occasion this season they’ve forced 20 or more turnovers in a contest. Emily Foy accomplished a career-high of 18 points in the victory.

Oregon State emerged victorious in its only game of the week, delivering San Francisco its first conference loss. The Beavers held San Francisco scoreless for almost 10 minutes during the second half, which ignited a 16-0 run allowing them to take a lead they would maintain. Oregon State leads the conference in defensive rebounding (29.1 per game) and free throw percentage (77% as a collective unit).

Pacific recorded a split in its two matchups, defeating Santa Clara before falling to Saint Mary’s. Marina Radocaj nearly doubled her prior career high by scoring 19 points against the Broncos. The Tigers achieved shooting 51.9 percent from the field, the first instance Pacific has shot 50 percent or over against a Division I opponent since last season’s regular season finale versus Santa Clara. Anaya James has scored in double digits in eight of nine games since the beginning of December. Pacific ranks second in the WCC regarding steals per game, averaging 10.2 steals.

Santa Clara also split its two games last week, succumbing to Pacific before finishing with a win against San Diego. Olivia Pollerd was recognized as the Heluva Good Dip WCC Player of the Week after averaging 23.5 points per game over the week. Pollerd secured a double-double against San Diego, accumulating 20 points and 10 rebounds. Pollerd now holds 1,064 career points at Santa Clara (1,071 total during her career), which places her at 24th in Santa Clara history. Santa Clara shot 50.0 percent from the field in the match against the Toreros, with Malia Latu contributing 19 points, marking her fourth consecutive game with double digits. The Broncos now lead the conference in field goal percentage defense (opponents are shooting 37.6% from the field).

San Diego faced a defeat in its only game of the week against Santa Clara, following a postponement against LMU. Truitt Reilly led the team with 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and provided three assists against the Broncos. In her first collegiate start during Saturday’s game, Dresha Moore scored eight points and secured seven rebounds. As a team, the Toreros collected 20 offensive rebounds against the Broncos.