No.2 seed BYU takes on No. 1 seed Gonzaga in WCC title game

LAS VEGAS —With a (24-6) record, No. 2 seed BYU women’s basketball will play No. 1 seed Gonzaga (28-3) Tuesday, March 12, at 1 p.m. PST at the Orleans Arena for its third WCC Championship trophy. The game will be carried live on ESPNU. It will also air live on BYU Radio.

BYU vs. Gonzaga Game Notes

 ABOUT BYU

• The Cougars are making their fourth appearance in the title game of the league tournament since joining the WCC. BYU has two WCC crowns under its belt, winning in 2012 and 2015.
• The Cougars received votes (9) in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll as of March 11. They entered the AP Poll on Jan. 28 and fell out of the top 25 the week of Feb. 4.
• On the year, BYU has a 17-1 record when leading at the half; is 21-3 when making at least 5 treys; is 15-2 when dishing out more assists; and is 14-1 when it pulls down more rebounds than its opponents.
• Freshman Shaylee Gonzales, who has scored in double-digits in 28 games, leads the team in scoring and assists with 16.4 and 4.2 averages, respectively. Sophomore Paisley Johnson contributes 14.7 points while junior Brenna Chase puts up 12.3 points a contest. Chase leads in steals (2.2 spg). Sophomore center Sara Hamson leads the team in rebounding (5.8) and blocks (2.8). Senior forward Jasmine Moody ties for second place in rebounding with Gonzales, averaging 5.5 boards a game.
• The Cougars are averaging 68.8 points and 38.1 rebounds a game. They are holding opponents to just 62.6 points per contest. BYU is shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 33.8 percent from behind the arc and 69.7 percent from the free-throw line.
• For the first time in the history of the series between BYU and Gonzaga, the Cougars swept the Bulldogs. In the first matchup in Provo, BYU beat Gonzaga 70-68 on Jan. 17. In Spokane, the Cougars recorded their first win there, a 66-64 victory on Feb. 16.
• In the WCC Championships, these two teams have met four times compiling a 2-2 record. They battled twice in the semifinals. In 2013, Gonzaga won 62-43 on 3/9/13 and in 2015, BYU won 61-55 on 3/19/15. In the finals, they met in 2012 where BYU won 78-66 on 3/5/12 and in 2014 where Gonzaga won 71-57 on 3/11/14.

ABOUT GONZAGA

• The Bulldogs advanced to the WCC Championship game after a one-point, 78-77 double-overtime win over No. 4 seed St. Mary’s.
• Gonzaga is averaging 73.9 points and 38.8 rebounds per game. They shoot 45.8 percent from the field and 75.9 percent from the free-throw line.

UP NEXT FOR BYU
The winner of the WCC championships gets an automatic bid into the 2019 NCAA Championships.