SPOKANE, Wash. – Saint Mary's Women's Basketball heads to the Pacific Northwest this weekend to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday and the Portland Pilots on Monday.
 
The Portland game was rescheduled to Monday at noon after several days of winter storms prevented the Gaels from being able to travel to Portland in time for a Thursday night tip off.
 
Last season the Zags and Pilots finished first and second respectively in the final WCC regular-season Standings, before Portland won the WCC Championship Game 64-60 over Gonzaga. Both made the NCAA Tournament before being knocked out in the first round, with 9-seed Gonzaga losing to 8-seed Ole Miss, and 12-seed Portland being knocked out by 5-seed Oklahoma.
 
SMC is just 28-50 all time against Gonzaga. They're 47-29 all time against Portland, but the Pilots have won the last eight meetings between the two.
 
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's (8-9, 1-2) at Gonzaga (17-2, 4-0)
Saturday, January 20 at 2:00 p.m.
McCarthey Athletic Center – Spokane, Wash.
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Saint Mary's (8-9, 1-2) at Portland (11-7, 3-1)
Monday, January 22 at 12:00 p.m.
Chiles Center – Portland, Ore.
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LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's Women's Basketball fell behind early in the first quarter and were not able to come back against LMU in a 66-48 loss at home last Saturday night. 
 
LMU began the second quarter on a 8-0 run to put them up 30-13. The Lions held the Gaels to nine points in the second frame, securing a 38-22 lead going into halftime. Halfway through the third period, LMU pushed their lead to 22
 
The Gaels started the fourth quarter off strong with three buckets by Ali Bamberger, Leia Hanafin, and Makena Mastora in the first two minutes. Bamberger's layup with 3:13 remaining cut LMU's lead to 13, and SMC outscored LMU 17 to 13 the fourth, while forcing nine turnovers. Although the Gaels shot 38.9% from FG and held the Lions to 27.3% in the fourth, LMU still protected a double-digit lead at the final buzzer. 
 
Ali Bamberger led the way for the Gaels with 11 points, as Makena Mastora recorded ten of her own. Leia Hanafin brought energetic defense with six steals tonight.
 
LMU shot 9 of 21 from three-point range, in comparison to the Gaels 2 of 16. Overall, they were 45.3% from FG to SMC's 34.5%. 
 
ABOUT GONZAGA
Gonzaga is currently on a 28-home game winning streak, which currently ranks third in the country behind UNLV (29) and South Carolina (50). The Bulldogs have also won 11-straight games.

Five Zags are averaging double digits in scoring including Yvonne Ejim (20.3), Brynna Maxwell (13.8), Kayleigh Truong (13.6), Eliza Hollingsworth (10.8), and Kaylynne Truong (10.4).

Zags Head Coach Lisa Fortier reached 250 wins in her career with their victory over LMU. She currently is at 250-61 (.804), which is seventh in in the nation in winning percentage among current coaches with at least 10 years at the helm.
 
The Zags are fifth in the country in three-point percentage at 39.6%. GU's 48.6 field goal percentage also ranks 13th. From the free throw line, GU is sixth with 80.8%. Ejim has been named the WCC Player of the Week four times this season. She was also ESPN's Player of the Week and the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week (12/4). 

Kaylynne Truong was one of 20 point guards in the country named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list. Brynna Maxwell was also one of 20 shooting guards in the country named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list.
 
ABOUT PORTLAND
Portland Pilots guard Dyani Ananiev has beened named the WCC Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season. She has the most Freshman of the Week honors of any WCC player this season, just ahead of Aokuso's three. Ananiev is averaging 8.4 points per game 1.4 steals and one block per game. She is second among all freshman in points per game and is one of two players in the WCC to rank in the top 11 in both blocks and steals per game.
 
The Pilots are coming off a 73-63 win over Santa Clara where they had three players score in double figures, led by Emme Shearer, who had 15 points, four assists, five steals and two blocks. Maisie Burnham added 14 points and three steals and Dyani Ananiev helped out with 10 points, three steals and two blocks from the bench.
 
Portland took advantage of excellent ball movement in last Saturday's game, piling up 17 assists on 28 made field goals. Individually, Kianna Hamilton led the way with four assists. Portland forced 19 Santa Clara turnovers in Saturday's game with 12 steals. The Pilots turned those takeaways into 22 points on the other end of the floor. Shearer's five steals led the way for Portland.
 
#GaelsRise — 2023-24 tickets and ticket packages are on sale now! To purchase tickets, click here. If you have questions, contact the ticket office by email smctickets@stmarys-ca.edu or call 925-631-4689.