Portland Tops No. 16 Gonzaga to Win WCC Tournament Climax NCAA Berth

Portland Tops No. 16 Gonzaga to Win WCC Tournament Climax NCAA Berth

Portland, a mid-major from the Western Conference, upset No. 16 Gonzaga to win the WCC tournament and secure an NCAA berth.

Both regular-season meetings between Portland and the Zags proved challenging for Gonzaga, now it's time for them to test their mettle in the WCC final.

1. Brynna Maxwell

The Portland Pilots are one of the top teams in the West Coast Conference, but they have yet to claim a regular-season conference title. Now they have an opportunity to do so.

They must win their final two games -- at San Diego on Thursday and BYU on Saturday -- in order to clinch at least a share of the WCC title. This can be accomplished if they finish with 25-3 records overall and 15-1 within the conference.

If they can do that, it will be 19 years since the Zags last won at least a share of the league crown. That streak would extend to 20 if they take care of business at San Diego and BYU.

On Monday afternoon in the West Coast Conference semifinals, Gonzaga defeated BYU 79-64 to advance to the title game. Ejim led all scorers with 21 points and 11 rebounds for Gonzaga.

She improved her career rebounding total to 532, the seventh-best mark in NCAA history. On defense, she held BYU star Lauren Gustin to nine points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes of play.

She wasn't just an excellent defensive player; she also scored 21 points and added five assists.

Maxwell scored 16 of her 21 points in the second half, shooting 10 of 17 from the field and 11 of 18 from beyond the 3-point line. She hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter - including a 16-pointer with 90 seconds left to help seal victory and put it beyond reach.

Over her last nine games, she's averaging 24.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. Additionally, she is shooting an impressive 50.7 percent from behind the three-point line - leading the nation in this category.

Her shooting percentage has improved from a career-best 33.3 percent during the first half of her sophomore year, when she earned a double-double. This season she's averaging 12.4 points and 10.8 rebounds while making 3 pointers in every game thus far.

Vandersloot had a special night as she was honored by the team before the game. Her number 21 jersey was retired, making her the first player ever to do so.

2. Emme Shearer

On Saturday night in the WCC tournament, Portland's Emme Shearer scored a game-high 21 points to propel her team to an impressive 79-69 win against No. 16 Gonzaga and secure an NCAA berth. Shearer made four of six three-pointers along with 10 rebounds for her effort, and she also contributed three assists.

Shearer is one of the top young players in the WCC, and she has much to be proud of. She's played an essential role in helping propel the Pilots' success this season and stands as one of few WCC players with experience and talent on both ends of the court.

Fowler is another highly talented player and has been a mainstay in the conference. She's one of the top two scorers this year and an integral factor in the Pilots' success.

Fowler, who led the Pilots with 17.6 points per game this season, was considered a strong candidate for the WCC player of the year award. She was an integral part of UP's run to its second consecutive WCC championship and helped UP secure its first NCAA tournament appearance in over two decades.

She didn't receive the recognition she deserved, and she's not alone in feeling this way. Haylee Andrews - one of the top players in the conference who is playing for Utah this season - has also been overlooked for some of WCC's most prestigious awards.

Shearer's story illustrates what happens when young talent doesn't receive the recognition they deserve, and this has been a significant factor in her development as an athlete. A native New Zealander, Shearer began playing basketball for Harbor Breeze club team at 15 years old - an example of underappreciation for talented youngsters.

After playing for the Tall Ferns in 2019, Shearer joined New Zealand's U-18 National 3x3 Basketball team and helped them finish third at their national tournament. Since then, Shearer has relocated to Oregon where she is an integral part of their roster.

She's an ideal fit for Portland's defense and could be a key player in its NCAA Tournament run this spring. Additionally, she's an impressive shooter who can make shots from anywhere on the floor, plus she possesses remarkable athleticism.

3. Alex Fowler

Gonzaga had been the undisputed champion of college basketball for some time. Their free-flowing offense created open shots and their defense smothered opponents at every turn, but Gonzaga couldn't make it easy on Portland Pilots in their WCC tourney clinching win on Monday night.

On Monday night, Portland had an opportunity to win its first WCC tournament title in three years but couldn't capitalize. Their seven-game win streak was snapped with a 79-68 loss against No. 16 Gonzaga at home.

Alex Fowler led the Pilots with 15 points and seven rebounds, hitting two 3-pointers to finish 6 of 10 from beyond the arc for her second career double-double. She was joined by teammates Yvonne Ejim and McKayla Williams who each scored 11 points.

Last season, Fowler was the leading scorer and rebounder for the WCC, averaging 17.1 points and eight rebounds per game. She earned herself a first-team selection to the All-WCC Team for the third straight year - an accomplishment which will be replicated this year as well.

Her performance was a huge boost for the Pilots, who went 20-11 last season and qualified for the WNIT for the first time since 2009. She is now one of only three players in school history to earn multiple WCC titles alongside Laiken Dollente and Kristin Hepton.

She is also the school's all-time assists leader, having recorded 367 as a senior. Additionally, she set an NCAA single season assist record and earned herself a spot on The Associated Press Women's All-American team.

In addition to her success on the court, Fowler has become an integral part of Oregon's culture. A former All-Oceana player, she serves on their alumnae committee and was recognized as an Oregon Scholar Athlete by their athletic department.

Amy Epsten has missed several games due to injury, yet she remains among the top goal scorers in the WCC with an average of 10 points per game. Her game-winning shot with four seconds remaining against Portland proved that she remains one of Toreros' most reliable shooters from outside.

After a slow start to the game, USD's offense ignited in the second half. Ricketts, named WCC's 2022 player of the year, hit an important heave to bring home two runs with two outs in the seventh inning. The Toreros went on to score 32 runs and earn their first NCAA berth under head coach Bill Grier.

4. Maisie Burnham

On Tuesday night, Maisie Burnham - a sophomore transfer from Eastern Washington and native of Spangle, Washington - scored 19 points and had four steals to lead Portland to an NCAA berth with 64-60 victory over No.16 Gonzaga. Fowler added 15 points and 11 rebounds, while McKelle Meek chipped in with 12 points and four assists as the Pilots (23-8) snapped their six-game losing streak against the Bulldogs (28-4) to claim their second WCC tournament championship in four years.

At halftime, Portland trailed 33-22. However, a 16-2 run over the final 6:21 of the third quarter put them ahead by as many as 13 points. Burnham made her first three-pointer of the game and Fowler converted another three-point play for a 59-58 advantage with 3:38 left in regulation time.

Gonzaga rallied, scoring nine straight points to cut the deficit to 63-59 with 14.7 seconds left. Calli Stokes drew a charge on Meek and forced her to miss a 3-pointer that gave Portland its final lead with 6.2 seconds remaining.

Shearer missed two free throws with 1.7 seconds left, but Fowler forced a tie-up on a double-team against Brynna Maxwell and Portland took possession. Shearer hit the ensuing free throw to give his team an eight-point lead - which they held onto for victory.

Robertson was an effective player despite the loss, scoring 31 points on 10-19 shooting with 3-6 3-pointers for his team-leading total of 31. Wood added seven points and six rebounds but didn't make an especially noteworthy impact as one of few players on the floor who didn't contribute significantly to the outcome.

Alex Fowler and the Pilots are headed back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1997 - it will be their sixth appearance overall. On Friday afternoon they will face off against South Carolina at home.