Gonzaga locks up the WCC Title with win over BYU

A trip to Provo, Utah proved to be fruitful for Gonzaga as Lisa Fortier’s squad locked up the WCC regular season Championship with a 58-51 win over the BYU Cougars. The best part? They don’t have to share the title. This team has earned that hardware and more considering they produced a 17-1 conference record despite the injuries that have plagued this squad.

The Zags used a strong second half push to overcome a 4-point deficit at halftime as a stingy defense held the Cougars to just four points in the third quarter and 20 in the second half.

Yvonne Ejim finished with a double-double and led all scorers with 19 points to go with her 10 rebounds to put an exclamation point on an excellent WCC campaign that should have her in line for some additional hardware to place in her trophy cabinet. McKayla Williams added 9 points to pair with her reliably stout defense, and Brynna Maxwell chipped in 8 points despite an uncharacteristically cold day shooting the ball (0-4 3PT)

Gonzaga’s defensive effort helped make up for a tough afternoon from the field, and particularly the 3-point line where they shot 13% (2-15). Fortunately, the Cougars didn’t fare much better, as the hosts converted only 4 of 22 attempts (18%) from long distance while Gonzaga won the rebounding and turnover battle.

While scoring didn’t come easy for either team, the Zags did better in playing with grit and staying poised on the road with so much on the line. They will now get to enjoy the spoils with a well-deserved break before resuming action in Vegas as the #1 seed in the WCC Tournament. Enjoy the celebrations, champs.