LAS VEGAS – The BYU women’s basketball team are West Coast Conference Champions after topping the No. 1 seed Gonzaga 82-68 Tuesday afternoon in the Orleans Arena.
"First of all, I want to give Gonzaga a lot of credit, they have a great team," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "This was just one of those games that went our way a little bit. I'm so proud of my team because they played their hearts out, they weren't afraid to make the play, they weren't afraid for the challenge."
Paisley Johnson was named WCC Tournament MVP and Shaylee Gonzales made the All-Tournament Team.
Brenna Chase tallied 25 points, three steals, one assist and one rebound as she drained seven 3-pointers. Shaylee Gonzales added 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Paisley Johnson scored 19 and recorded five rebounds and four assists.
In the first quarter, the Cougars managed to score their first four baskets from beyond the arc, including three by Chase, to take a 14-10 lead with five minutes on the clock.
With 1:37 remaining in the first quarter, the Bulldogs scored five-straight points to take a 23-19 lead at the break.
The BYU defense held Gonzaga scoreless through the first six minutes of the second quarter as the Cougars went on a 16-0 run to take a 35-23 advantage.
The Bulldogs closed in on the deficit before five-consecutive points from Gonzales in the final minute of the quarter gave BYU the 42-30 lead at halftime. The Cougars shot 46.9 percent from the field while Gonzaga recorded 40.7.
In the third quarter, buckets by four different players kept the Cougars on top by double figures, 55-39, with 5:26 on the clock. The Bulldogs answered with seven points from the charity stripe to bring the deficit down to single digits, 55-46.
Chase’s sixth trey ended BYU’s scoring drought, but Gonzaga answered with a pair of 3-pointers to bring the score to 60-52 with 1:16 left in the third.
Following a timeout, Johnson drained a 3 from the top of the key. However, more points from the free throw line for the Bulldogs brought the game within seven. Gonzales was fouled with .2 seconds left on the clock and went 2 of 3 as the Cougars held a 65-56 lead after three quarters.
In the first nine minutes of the final quarter, Gonzaga only scored from the charity stripe as BYU went on to secure its win from the free throw line and another trey from Chase.
On the game, the Cougars shot 47.3 percent from the field, 52.0 percent from 3 and 77.3 percent from the free throw line. The Bulldogs recorded 34.7 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from beyond the arc and 87.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Postgame Notes vs. Gonzaga at WCC Championship Game
Team
With the 82-68 win over Gonzaga, the Cougars captured their third West Coast Conference title since joining the league in 2011.
The win over the Bulldogs improved BYU’s record to 25-6 on the year. The team extends its win streak to seven games.
BYU finished the game with three players in double figures for the 14th time on the year. Brenna Chase (25), Shaylee Gonzales (20), Paisley Johnson (19).
For the game, BYU shot 47.3 percent from the field, 52 percent from behind the arc and 77.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The teams finished the game tied in assists and in steals with 12 and five, respectively.
BYU had the advantage in blocks with five to Gonzaga’s four.
The Cougars ended the game with 33 rebounds while the Bulldogs pulled down 32.
Player
Junior Brenna Chase led all scorers at halftime with 15 points, all from 3-point range. She picked up her 21st game with double digits and her second straight with 25, which tied for game highs. It’s the second game for Chase with 20-points. She had a game-high three steals. Her seven made treys tied for career bests.
Freshman Shaylee Gonzales picked up her 29th contest with double-figure points with 20. The points are her eighth with 20-plus points. Gonzales also tied for team bests in assists with four.
Sophomore Paisley Johnson had 10 points at halftime and ended the game with 19. The points mark her 27th game with double-digit scoring and the last 18 straight. She tied for team bests in assists with four while grabbing five rebounds.
Sophomore Sara Hamson led the way in rebounds and in blocks through the first half with five and two respectively. She pulled down a game-high eight rebounds and a game-best four blocks. Hamson contributed eight points to the team win, including going 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.
Additional quotes:
Head Coach Jeff Judkins