rough return home for the Zags
After falling 86-65 to the surging California Golden Bears yesterday, Coach Fortier seemed to agree with what I’ve been thinking after the last two games. Despite there being no “I” in team, Gonzaga is struggling with two “I’s” in this team: injuries and inexperience. Such is a recipe for the Bulldogs’ first home loss since 2022 and the end of a 37-game home game winning streak.
With Tayla Dalton, Esther Little, Lauren Whitaker, and, of course, Bree Salenbien, missing from yesterday’s game, the Bulldogs struggled mightily with their execution on both ends of the floor. The offense committed 24 turnovers, which allowed for 29 points for the Golden Bears, while the defense couldn’t control a Cal offense that ended up scoring 40 points in the paint and 33 points from beyond the arc.
I’m not here to focus on the negatives, but I do think it’s important to highlight that there are just two players who have experience not just playing for Coach Fortier, but also playing competitive college basketball for anything more than spot coverage minutes. That’s a rough place to be in for everyone involved.
Yvonne and Maud are used to playing with others familiar in the intricate nature of Gonzaga’s offensive game plan. Ines and McKynnlie are talented players accustomed to success, but struggling to identify the right times to display their skills. Meanwhile, Allie, Christabel, Vera, and Ella have been thrust into the deep end and are, for the most part, working to find their role in the team.
However, I think Coach Fortier said it best during the post-game interview: “If you’re peaking in your third game, you’re in trouble. And we’re not.” That being said, not everything is on fire.
- Allie Turner continues to show off some wild skills for a true freshman. With Esther Little inured, the Missouri native drew her first of likely many starts with Gonzaga and ended up playing 37 minutes during which she scored 20 points, second highest on the team, on 7-12 overall shooting, 4-6 from three. She didn’t contribute with assists (1) or rebounds (1) the same way she did the first two matchups nor did she improve her turnovers (4), but Turner was one of the few bright spots on Thursday.
- Yvonne Ejim continues to face immense opposition defensive pressure as she has thus far this season, but she willed herself to 27 points this matchup behind her 7-9 shooting inside the arc and 10-13 free throw performance. Thursday’s performance shows that while this team needs Ejim at her peak, they might need her leadership on the court more than her numerical contributions. That’s not to critique her performance, but something will need to change in relationship to the connection that the post and perimeter players display during the game because something doesn’t look right.
- Maud Huijbens had a game to forget on the offense with her single point on 0-6 shooting. However, she did add a team-high 9 rebounds and 4 assists, which adds some hope for this team, but Maud will need to work on nailing those bunnies and put-backs to help this team further. I’m a little concerned about Huijbens leading the team in assists, but her continued involvement in the offense will be essential to cover the down periods displayed by the guards.
- Speaking about the guards, Ines and Claire had a rough game fulfilling their distribution duties as they combined for 11 turnovers and 1 assist. They did chip in 15 points on 6-13 points, but on a night when the Bulldogs committed 24 turnovers leading to 29 points for Cal, I think we need to see more out of these two potential stars.
- I have said it before and I’ll say it again, I think Christabel has amazing potential. However, I don’t think anyone on this staff envisioned her playing 18 minutes this early in the season and it’s likely only the case due to all of the injuries previously mentioned. I could include similar comments about Vera or Ella, but I’m focusing on Christabel because she looks so raw yet so amazing at the same time. I’m excited to see her get integrated into this squad.
Despite this loss, both us fans and the team will need to bounce back quickly as they play tomorrow in the Kennel at 4:00 PM EST against former Zag Peyton Muma and the Wyoming Cowgirls. The Pokes also sit at 1-2 with their only win coming against Regis (69-57) and defeats coming against Colorado (50-56) and BYU (63-76). Tune in tomorrow to ESPN+ and check out our Zags.
Of note, y’all better be sporting your turquoise as tomorrow’s game represents the N7 match.