Continuing its reign over the WCC, the Gonzaga women’s basketball team (22-2, 9-0) had a night for the ages in The Kennel against Pacific (13-9, 5-4), with an emphatic 104-39 win over the Tigers.
GU's 65-point win set the program record for the largest win over a Division 1 school.
Yvonne Ejim led the Zags in scoring on the night, contributing a double-double effort with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Kaylynne Truong was the team's second highest scorer on 15 points, chipping in with 9 assists.
The win marks the 16th straight victory for the Zags and boosts their home record on the year to 10-0. Against Pacific, GU excelled from beyond the arc as it scored a program 19 three-pointers.
“I really did not think we were going to put this kind of number up today,” said head coach Lisa Fortier. “On both sides of the ball, the game plan was really well executed.”
GU’s dominance was reflected in more statistics, as it held Pacific to more turnovers (21) than allowed field goals (17), including just one 3-pointer out of 13 attempts for Pacific.
On the offensive end for the Zags, their 19 threes were shot at a 54% clip, an unheard of percentage for such high volume. It was apparent Pacific would be in for a long night as they watched themselves fall into a 20 point gap in just the first quarter, which featured seven of the treys.
Kaylynne Truong scored five 3-pointers off of nine attempts in the contest, equalling her season average 43% on the season.
Brynna Maxwell continued her impressive displays in conference play, knocking down three-pointers at a high clip, and is now 27-50 during the West Coast Conference season.
Yvonne Ejim has cemented herself as the go-to post player for the Zags, averaging 20 points per game shooting 65% from three. She is currently averages eight rebounds per contest.
GU has won every game since December 9th by more than 10 points. GU's recent dominance of their opponents and remarkable three-point efficiency laid the foundation for a historical night against Pacific.
Fans of the team were left scratching their heads after two dominant road wins the week prior resulted in the team dropping two places in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. This level of performance certainly gives the committee a hard time to continue that trend.
“We’re trying not to get frustrated with the rankings," Fortier said. "If you let it, that stuff weighs you down, and our team is not going to let that happen."
GU, regardless of ranking, remains one of the most cerebral teams in the country. As one of the most experienced teams in the nation, each player has a good understanding of their teammates.
“This group is really fun, they make everything better,” Maxwell said. "To have everyone hitting on our team hitting threes and making it a team win in that way and being able to celebrate with my friends is awesome.”
GU's performances this season has it on pace for the best season under Fortier in her 10-year tenure. She looks to be a top Mid-Major Coach of the Year candidate, alongside Yvonne Ejim who’s on the Mid-Major Player of the Year midseason watch list.
As conference season continues, the Zags hold a strong lead in the WCC, and boast a strong resume from their arduous non-conference schedule.
Obviously nothing is set in stone, but this team looks to make a program-best run in the tournament come March.
In its next outing, GU takes on Pepperdine at home on Feb. 8 at 6 P.M.