PROVO, Utah— With a 17-10, 11-5 record, BYU women’s basketball is tied for second place with Saint Mary’s, heading into the last week of West Coast Conference play.
The Cougar women’s team finishes its conference slate with two home games. BYU hosts Portland (6-21, 4-12 WCC) on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. MST. The team then hosts WCC regular season champion Gonzaga (22-5, 13-3 WCC) Saturday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. MST. Both games will be carried live on BYUtv. During the game with the Zags, BYU’s four seniors will be recognized.
GAME PROMOTIONS
Thursday (Portland)
Ward passes are $20 for up to 50 ward members
FREE admission with Pass of all Passes
Saturday (Gonzaga)
Senior Day
$2 Cougar Tails while they last
FREE long sleeve royal shirts for the first 300 fans at the game
Chocolate Milk Game - chocolate milk prizes given out during the game
Family Passes $15 (parents & dependents)
FREE admission with Pass of all Passes
BYU AT A GLANCE
Three players are scoring in double figures for the Cougars with a team- and league-best 18.4 points a game from junior guard Cassie Broadhead. Senior guard Makenzi Pulsipher is next in scoring, contributing 12.9 points to the Cougars offensive threat. The third BYU player to put up double digits in points is senior All-American Kalani Purcell. She’s averaging a double-double with 12.0 points and a team-and league-high 10.4 boards per game.
In the last week of the 2017 WCC regular season race, the Cougars rank first in steals and in field goal percentage defense. BYU is second in the league in scoring margin, assists, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and in assist/turnover ratio.
Overall, the Cougars are scoring 67.6 points per game, while shooting 43.0 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from behind the arc and 71.3 percent from the charity stripe. BYU grabs 36.3 rebounds a contest.
• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78), 16th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #20 C. Broadhead, 18.4 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #32 K. Purcell, 10.4 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #32 K. Purcell, 5.0 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #32 Purcell, 2.3 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: ##32 K. Purcell, 1.2 bpg
PORTLAND AT A GLANCE
Portland has a 6-21, 4-12 record in the conference race. The Pilots swept the series with Pepperdine and beat LMU and Pacific for their four league wins.
Portland has 10 letterwinners returning, including all five starters. Kaylie Van Loo tops the list in scoring with 12.0 points a game while teammate Julie Spencer leads the way in the rebounds category, pulling down 7.3 boards a contest. The Pilots average 58.7 points, grab 34.8 rebounds and shoot 36.2 percent from the field. Portland also shoots 29.7 percent from behind 3-point range and 71.4 percent from the charity stripe.
• Head coach: Cheryl Sorenson (Washington, ‘03), Second season
• Team’s leading scorer: #3 K, Van Loo, 12.0 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #23 J. Spencer, 7.3 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #03 K. Van Loo, 5.1 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #03 K. Van Loo, 2.0 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #23 J. Spencer, .63 bpg
THE SERIES
BYU leads the series 19-4. In the first meeting this year between the two league foes, the Cougars picked up the 77-38 win in Portland on Feb. 4. When playing in Provo, the Pilots have a 2-9 mark. The last time that Portland won at the Marriott Center was on Jan. 2, 1999, a 62-57 victory. Head coach Jeff Judkins is 15-0 all-time against Portland.
GONZAGA AT A GLANCE
Gonzaga has compiled a 22-5, 13-3 record and has clinched the 2017 WCC regular season title. The Bulldogs host San Diego on Thursday night, before making the trip to Provo for Saturday afternoon’s game.
Gonzaga returns eight letterwinners including three starters. Last season, the Bulldogs advanced to the second round of the WNIT in postseason play.
Jill Barta is the lone player for Gonzaga that is putting up double digits in points with a game-best 16.6 points a game. Kiara Kudron tops the list in the rebounds category with a 7.5 average.
The Bulldogs are shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 75.6 percent from the free-throw line while scoring 71.6 points and pulling down 40.6 boards a game.
• Head coach: Lisa Fortier (Cal-State Monterey Bay, ‘04), Third season
• Team’s leading scorer: #13 J. Barta, 16.6 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #23 K. Kudron, 7.5 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #11 L. Stockton, 4.2 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #31 E. Tinkle, 1.7 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #13 J. Barta/#31 E. Tinkle, .96 bpg
THE SERIES
Gonzaga leads the series 13-8. This will be the second meeting between these two league foes this year. On Feb. 2, in Spokane, the home standing Bulldogs recorded the 87-52 win behind a school-record 17 3-pointers. When playing in Provo, Gonzaga has a 3-4 mark, winning at the Marriott Center the last time on Feb. 28, 2015, a 73-66 Bulldog victory.
COMING UP
BYU women’s basketball heads to Las Vegas to compete in the 2017 West Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Championships at the Orleans Arena, March 2 -7. The winner of the league championship receives an automatic bid into the 2017 NCAA tournament.