College women: Gonzaga, Idaho, WSU all bumped off at conference tourneys

From news services and local reports

LAS VEGAS — Gonzaga led by seven points with 4:14 left to play, but a running bank shot by Oregon State’s Kennedie Shuler with .8 seconds remaining capped a comeback and lifted the fourth-seeded Beavers past the top-seeded Bulldogs 63-61 in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball tournament semifinal Monday afternoon before 2,827 at Orleans Arena. 

Inbounding in its frontcourt, Gonzaga had a chance to tie at the buzzer, but Yvonne Ejim’s catch-and-shoot from just a few feet from the hoop was off the mark. 

Oregon State (18-15) advances to play No. 2 seed Portland (29-3) today at 1 p.m. (ESPNU) in the championship game, for what figures to be the WCC’s lone berth to the NCAA tournament. 

“Really proud of our team for positioning ourselves to be in the spot where we could be the No. 1 seed in the tournament,” Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said. “There’s a lot of people who wrote us off, and the people in the locker room did not, and we stayed the course and got better. It’s the most proud I’ve been at the improvement a team has made in a single season. It’s been pretty remarkable. Even though the final outcome wasn’t what we wanted it to be, I can’t say enough about this group of people and the things that they learned ... and how they stayed the course.” 

Ejim, the conference’s all-time leading scorer, and Allie Turner each scored 18 points for Gonzaga (22-10), which will await its postseason destination Sunday. Turner's 18 were the second most points by a Zag freshman in the WCC tournament, only behind Heather Bowman's 19 against Portland in the 2007 quarterfinals. 

Maud Huijbens hit 3-of-5 3-pointers and added 11 points for the Bulldogs. Ejim had 14 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season. 

Gonzaga led 57-50 on a basket by Turner with 4:14 left, but managed just a basket by Tayla Dalton with 3:43 left, and two free throws by Ejim with 8 seconds left to tie the game at 61.  

Catarina Ferriera had 19 points and nine rebounds for Oregon State, an associate member of the WCC this season and next after decades in the Pac-12. AJ Marotte added 15 points. Shuler finished with two baskets and four points. Her other basket was a steal and score that put OSU up 61-59 with 37 seconds left. 

“Gonzaga is Gonzaga; we were in their palace, basically,” Oregon State coach Scott Rueck said. “They’ve set the bar for a long time, both men and women. So coming in here, we’re dealing with the people that dominate this place, because of that, we have to get over that confidence and aura that they bring in, and that swagger they bring into the gym. And our team came out unfazed, and ready to play.”

Portland 72, Washington State 57: The Cougars led in the first half and early in the third quarter before faltering late, and the second-seeded Pilots pulled away in the other WCC tourney women’s semifinal at Orleans Arena.

Dayana Mendes recorded her fourth career double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds for WSU (20-13). Eleonora Villa and Tara Wallack each scored 11 points. 

Wallack added five rebounds, four assists and a block, and Eleonora Villa had three assists and two steals.

Alex Covill, in her second game back after missing eight games with a foot injury, scored seven points to go with three boards and two blocks.

Astera Tuhina finished with five points, five assists, two blocks and four rebounds.

Charlotte Abraham pitched in six points, five rebounds, a block and a steal.

Late in the first half, a blocked shot by Covill led to a layup by her at the other end to extend WSU’s lead to 37-25. The Cougars took a 39-30 lead into the locker room.

Portland opened the second half with a 22-2 run to take a 52-41 lead.

Montana 65, Idaho 54: At Boise, the third-seeded Vandals’ stay at the Big Sky tournament lasted just one game, falling to the sixth-seeded Grizzlies — fueled by a pair of players with Idaho ties — in a quarterfinal matchup at Idaho Central Arena.

Olivia Nelson totaled 17 points for Idaho (18-12). Hope Hassmann had 17 points and three assists, and Jennifer Aadland had 10 rebounds.

Mack Konig had 20 points and six assists for Montana (13-17), which plays No. 5 Idaho State today in a semifinal game.

Avery Waddington, a freshman from Lake City High, added 17 points (including two 3-pointers) and four rebounds. Tyler McCliment-Call, who played as a freshman and sophomore at Post Falls High, had 10 points and 18 rebounds for the Griz.

Montana led by two points at halftime, then outscored Idaho 20-9 in the third quarter.

Idaho State routed No. 4 Weber State 62-42 in another quarterfinal.

    RYAN BRENNECKE/University of Montana Avery Waddington, right, of Montana looks to pass vs. Idaho in a quarterfinal game of the Big Sky Conference women’s basketball tournament Monday in Boise.
  

    RYAN BRENNECKE/University of Montana Tyler McCliment-Call (5) of Montana shoots over Ana Pinheiro of Idaho in a quarterfinal game of the Big Sky Conference women’s basketball tournament Monday in Boise.