LAS VEGAS — The Gonzaga women's basketball team battled to the very end against Portland in the West Coast Conference Championship game but couldn't overcome turnovers and a questionable call at the end.
Portland won the game 64-60 over Gonzaga. The win means Portland is headed to the NCAA Tournament. The No. 16 Zags should also make it as an at-large team.
Gonzaga had a chance to tie the tie game in the final 30 seconds but Yvonne Ejim was called for a questionable offensive foul.
Turnovers cost Gonzaga the game. The Bulldogs turned over the ball 24 times, leading to 29 points for Portland.
Yvonne Ejim had another double-double for Gonzaga with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Kaylynne Truong added 18 points and Eliza Hollingsworth had 11 points and 8 rebounds.
Maisie Burnham led the Pilots in scoring with 19 points before fouling out. Alex Fowler added 15 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
Gonzaga now looks ahead to the NCAA Tournament where we will find out how they are seeded on Sunday.
Third Quarter
Portland got going in the third quarter, outscoring Gonzaga 26-13. The Pilots took advantage of some sloppy play by the Bulldogs, scoring 19 points off of turnovers. The Pilots dominated on a 16-2 run at the end of the third quarter.
Maisie Burnham scored 11 points in the third quarter alone, while Alex Fowler got going with 8 points after she was held scoreless in the first half.
First Half
After a tight first quarter, Gonzaga broke open the game in the second quarter with a strong defensive effort. The Zags took a 33-22 lead into halftime.
Kaylynne Truong set the pace for Gonzaga in the first half. The WCC Player of the year led the team with 13 points and three assists. Yvonne Ejim added 12 points with 5 rebounds.
The biggest win of the half for the Zags may have been holding Portland forward Alex Fowler to 0 points.
Gonzaga Women Ranking
The Gonzaga Women's Basketball team dropped a spot in the latest AP Poll, despite not playing a game last week. The Gonzaga Women are now ranked No. 16. The Zags finished the regular season 27-3 overall and 17-1 in conference play.
As for the NCAA Tournament, ESPN projected Gonzaga as a No. 8 seed prior to the Portland game. That would mean a matchup with a number one seed in just the second round of the tournament.
Watch the post-game press conference below:
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