big-time conference matchup against the current leaders
The Gonzaga Women have traveled to Portland to face-off against the Pilots in the Chiles Center at 6 PM PT.
This represents an important test for the Bulldogs as the Pilots are currently 14-1 with all of their victories carrying a double-digit margin. Portland is coming off a surprise overtime defeat to the Oregon State Beavers, but I’m expecting Coach Meeks to have this team fired up against their conference rivals.
The Pilots are led by the impressive backcourt duo of seniors Emme Shearer and Maisie Burnham. Both players stand at 6’0” and both are posting over 16 points and nearly 3 assists per game while posting eerily similar shot selection and efficiency. The only real difference between the two from a basic statistical analysis is that Shearer averages 2.4 steals per game compared, more than double compared to Burnham, while Burnham grabs just under double the amount of rebounds, 5.2, compared to Shearer.
As a team, they are averaging 80.1 points per game, a number that ranks 29th in the nation, while holding their opponents to just 59.9 points per game that’s fueled by their ability to secure steals, 12.1 per game which ranks 27th nationally, and blocks, 4.2 per game which ranks 55th nationally.
I didn’t get a chance to watch Portland’s defeat to Oregon State, but I have watched a couple of their recent conference games and this team has looked extremely dangerous. They play with a level of cohesion reminiscent of the ‘23-24 Zags, sport a starting five featuring seniors, and play deep into their bench.
With regards to Gonzaga, I’m just hoping that we see some more of the same flow on offense and involvement of more secondary scorers like Claire O’Connor and Ines Bettencourt.
More importantly though, I’m excited to see more of Bree Salenbien on the court as she surprised me and likely everyone else when she stepped foot onto the court. I’ve covered some of the injuries the 6’2” junior has sustained since starting at Gonzaga for the ‘21-22 season and I’ve had strong doubts that she would play this season. So to see her step onto the floor for 7 minutes during which time she scored 5 points and grabbed 1 rebound was absolutely wonderful for me and apparently the McCarthey Center fans as well as they launched into a beautiful chant for the Bree. Last season, Salenbien featured in 12 games averaging 13 minutes, 3.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers. Bree was really starting to find her groove prior to her injury after the February LMU game as she had scored 27 points in the previous three matches. I hope that everything progresses well for Bree and I know I’ll be rooting for her intensely.
After my terrible prediction for the Zags game against the Beavers, I’m hesitant to look into my crystal ball, but if the Bulldogs can go and win this match, it could represent a big step forward for this program. Hit the comments below to share your thoughts on the game as it takes place!