Credit Screenshot from ESPN
The Gonzaga men’s and women’s basketball teams are both headed back to the NCAA’s “Big Dance.” Both came back from double-digit deficits to beat teams from Brigham Young University.
The men’s team finished an undefeated regular season. It rallied from 12 points down at halftime to win, 88-78, in the West Coast Conference final in Las Vegas. The Bulldogs finish their regular season 26-0 and have won 30 games in a row, dating back to last year’s truncated season. Gonzaga will learn on Sunday which team it will play in the NCAA men’s tournament in Indianapolis.
2021/03/10 07:51 LAS VEGAS (AP) Jill Townsend scored on an 15-foot fadeaway jumper as time expired and No. 18 Gonzaga rallied past second-seeded BYU 43-42 on Tuesday in the West Coast Conference championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Kaylynne Truong inbounded the ball with 0.6 seconds to play, finding Townsend on the left side of the lane. Townsend, one of three starters who did not start because of illness, came off a Jenn Wirth screen and just got the shot off over 6-foot-7 Sara Hamson as time expired. It was the only points of the game for Townsend, who started on the bench with leading 3-pointer shooter Cierra Walker, and third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder LeeAnne Wirth because of gastroenteritis.
With an NCAA automatic bid on the line, the Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the BYU Cougars. Who wins the rubber match as Co-Players of the Year Jenn Wirth and Shaylee Gonzales go head-to-head?
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The West Conference tournament has entered the semifinal stage in Las Vegas, NV. The WCC regular season champion Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the Santa Clara Broncos 72-62 on Monday afternoon and the BYU Cougars face the San Francisco Dons at 5 p.m. ET.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs went 16-1 during the regular season and have won the WCC regular season title 16 of the last 17 seasons. However, the Bulldogs have not managed to win the WCC tournament since 2018.
The Bulldogs feature the 2021 WCC Co-Player of the Year in senior forward Jenn Wirth. Wirth was second in scoring with 13.2 points and led her squad with 8.4 rebounds per contest, which was good for third in the conference. Jill Townsend joined her teammate on the All-WCC First Team list after leading her team with 13.8 points. LeeAnne Wirth, a WCC Honorable Mention, averaged 8.9 points and 5.8 rebounds.
The dynamic BYU guard did just that Tuesday.
Gonzales was named WCC co-player of the year alongside Gonzaga s Jenn Wirth, and BYU coach Jeff Judkins earned coach of the year honors in a vote of league coaches announced Tuesday by the conference.
Gonzales Big Three teammates of Lauren Gustin and Paisley Johnson Harding joined the Gilbert, Arizona product as conference first-team selections. Graduate transfer Teegan Graham and senior Sara Hamson were named All-WCC honorable mentions.
It s a group of players with swagger, but also a lethal mentality, be it in scoring, rebounding or defense. We have that killer instinct, especially Shaylee Gonzales; that is her, Harding told KSL.com. I think I have that same instinct. When we re both on the court and as leaders of this team, we ll find a way. I think Teegan has that fighters mentality, too, and so many girls who have bought into that mentality. Whatever it takes, we re driven to do greatness.