Gonzaga University
Idaho
11/5/2026 11:47:00 AM | Women's Basketball
FRIDAY, NOV. 6 | 6 P.M. | SPOKANE, WA | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER
RADIO: 101.5 FM |Â GAME NOTES
TV: YouTube | LIVE STATS
THE TIPOFF
- Gonzaga welcomes Idaho to the McCarthey Athletic Center Friday, Nov. 6, for a 6 p.m. tipoff. The Zags opened the season with a 62-56 win over North Dakota State.
- Gonzaga enters its inaugural season in the Pac-12 after finishing 2025-26 at 24-10 overall and 14-4 in WCC play. The Zags won their 11th WCC Tournament title and earned their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance.
- Head coach Lisa Fortier enters her 13th season with a 314-84 career record (.789 winning percentage). She is two wins away from tying Kelly Graves' program record of 316 victories.
- Lauren Whittaker opened the season with a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double against North Dakota State. Last season, she averaged 19.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, earning WCC Player and Freshman of the Year honors while setting Gonzaga freshman records with 649 points and 348 rebounds.
- Whittaker's 348 rebounds last season established a Gonzaga single-season record, surpassing the previous mark of 326 set by Yvonne Ejim.
- Allie Turner returns after leading the Zags with 89 three-pointers last season while shooting 47.1% from deep. She averaged 14.8 points and 3.5 assists per game in 2025-26 and added eight points and five assists in the season opener.
- Turner enters the season closing in on 1,000 career points, with 981 after the opener. She also has 196 career three-pointers.
- Gonzaga led the nation in three-point percentage last season, shooting 39.2% from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs averaged 74.1 points and 16.9 assists per game while shooting 45.2% from the field.
- The Zags showed their resilience in the season opener, overcoming an 11-point deficit against North Dakota State before outscoring the Bison 28-15 in the fourth quarter.
- Gonzaga finished with 21 assists and forced 17 turnovers in the win. Taylor Smith added 10 points and four assists, while Teryn Gardner contributed nine points and three three-pointers.
- The Zags return a Pac-12-leading 10 players from last season, including all five starters.
THE SERIES
ALL-TIME: Zags lead 16-15
HOME: 9-7
AWAY: 7-6
NEUTRAL: 0-1
LAST MEETING: In 2018, GU won 88-51 in Spokane.
FIRST MEETING: In 1981, Idaho won 101-64.
UNDER COACH FORTIER: 1-0
STREAK: W6
SEASON OPENS WITH A WIN
- Gonzaga opened the 2026-27 season with a 62-56 victory over North Dakota State on Nov. 2 inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- Junior Lauren Whittaker picked up where she left off last season, recording a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Whittaker shot 10-of-18 from the floor while adding four steals and two assists.
- The Bulldogs overcame an 11-point deficit, outscoring North Dakota State 28-15 in the fourth quarter to secure their first victory of the season.
- Teryn Gardner provided a spark from beyond the arc, connecting on three three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Gardner hit the go-ahead three with 5:15 remaining to give Gonzaga a 48-47 advantage.
- Taylor Smith added 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting while recording four assists. Allie Turner finished with eight points and a team-high five assists.
- Gonzaga recorded 21 assists on 25 made field goals while forcing 17 North Dakota State turnovers. The Zags also collected eight steals and outrebounded the Bison 36-34.
SCOUTING IDAHO
- Idaho enters Friday's matchup at 1-0 after defeating Saint Martin's 71-47 on Nov. 2.
- Idaho dominated the glass, outrebounding Saint Martin's 46-26 for a plus-20 rebounding margin.
- Ella Uriarte led Idaho with 12 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field while adding four rebounds and four steals.
- Hope Hassmann, Brynna Pukis and Keanna Salave'a each finished with 11 points. Pukis connected on three three-pointers, while Salave'a grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
- Aniyah Riddell added 10 points off the bench, going a perfect 2-for-2 from the field and 6-for-6 at the free-throw line. She also pulled down eight rebounds.
- Idaho forced 18 turnovers and recorded 11 steals against Saint Martin's.
- The Vandals shot 20% (3-of-15) from three-point range and 75% (12-of-16) at the free-throw line.
PRESEASON HONORS
- Gonzaga was selected first in the 2026-27 Pac-12 Preseason Media Poll, earning the top spot among nine conference teams.
- Allie Turner and Lauren Whittaker were named to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List, joining 18 players recognized across the conference.
- Junior forward Lauren Whittaker was named to the Katrina McClain Award Preseason Watch List, recognizing the nation's top power forwards. She was one of 20 players selected nationally.
- Whittaker was also named to the Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, one of 50 players nationally and the lone Pac-12 representative.
- Whittaker earned a spot on the Becky Hammon Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List, one of 25 players nationally recognized for the award honoring the nation's top player outside the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC.
- Head coach Lisa Fortier was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List, one of 20 coaches nationally. Fortier previously won the award following the 2023-24 season.
A NEW ERA IN THE PAC-12
- Gonzaga women's basketball is competing in its inaugural season in the Pac-12 Conference in 2026-27 after officially joining the league on July 1, 2026.
- The new-look Pac-12 features nine members: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State.
- The Bulldogs will play a 16-game conference schedule, featuring eight home games and eight road contests.
- Gonzaga opens Pac-12 play on Jan. 6 against Oregon State inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
BUILDING ON LAST SEASON
- Gonzaga finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record and a 14-4 mark in West Coast Conference play.
- The Bulldogs posted a 12-3 home record and went a perfect 9-0 at home against conference opponents.
- Gonzaga averaged 74.1 points per game while holding opponents to 65.0 points per contest, finishing with a +9.1 scoring margin.
- The Zags shot 45.2% from the field and led the nation with a 39.2% three-point percentage, making 244 three-pointers.
- Gonzaga outrebounded opponents by 10.7 boards per game, averaging 40.9 rebounds compared to 30.2 for its opponents.
- The Bulldogs averaged 16.9 assists per game last season and opened the 2026-27 campaign with 21 assists against North Dakota State.
WHITTAKER CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
- Lauren Whittaker opened her junior campaign with a double-double against North Dakota State, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in Gonzaga's 62-56 victory.
- Whittaker put together one of the most impressive freshman seasons in Gonzaga history in 2025-26, leading the Bulldogs with 19.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
- Whittaker finished last season with 649 points, 348 rebounds and 43 steals while shooting 53.6% from the field.
- Against Oregon State on Jan. 22, Whittaker scored a career-high 37 points, setting the Gonzaga freshman single-game scoring record. She finished 12-of-26 from the field and 12-of-14 from the free throw line.
- Whittaker was named the WCC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, becoming just the second freshman in conference history to earn Player of the Year honors.
- She also collected 12 WCC Freshman of the Week awards, tying the conference single-season record, and earned USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week recognition.
Note: Due to recent changes in NCAA eligibility rules regarding redshirt seasons, Lauren Whittaker is classified as a junior for the 2026-27 season.
A.T. = AUTOMATIC FROM THREE
- Allie Turner opened her junior season with eight points, five assists and three rebounds against North Dakota State. Turner connected on two three-pointers in the victory.
- Turner enters her junior campaign after shooting 47.1% from three-point range in 2025-26, connecting on 89 threes in 34 games.
- Against Saint Mary's on Feb. 26, Turner tied the Gonzaga single-game record with nine made three-pointers, finishing 9-of-14 from beyond the arc.
- Turner has now made 196 career three-pointers, including a program-record 105 during her freshman season in 2024-25.
- Turner has scored 981 career points in 70 games and needs just 19 more points to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
- Turner earned First Team All-WCC honors for the second consecutive season in 2025-26.
TRIPLE THREATS ALL AROUND
- Gonzaga connected on five three-pointers in its season-opening victory over North Dakota State, including three from Teryn Gardner and two from Allie Turner.
- The Bulldogs found their rhythm from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, shooting 75% (3-of-4) from deep while outscoring the Bison 28-15.
- Gonzaga finished the 2025-26 season leading the nation in three-point percentage, shooting 39.2% from beyond the arc while converting 244 of its 623 attempts.
- Turner led the Bulldogs with 89 made three-pointers last season, while Gardner ranked second with 52, shooting 46.0% from beyond the arc.
EXPERIENCE RETURNS
- Gonzaga returns a Pac-12-leading 10 players from last season's roster, including all five starters, after winning 24 games and advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26.
- Inês Bettencourt enters her fifth season after starting all 33 games she appeared in last year, averaging 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
- Zeryhia Aokuso started all 34 games last season, averaging 8.4 points and 2.2 assists per contest. She opened the 2026-27 season with six points, three rebounds and two assists against North Dakota State.
- Taylor Smith opened her senior campaign with 10 points and four assists against North Dakota State, shooting 5-of-7 from the field. Smith started all 34 games last season and collected 93 assists.
- Teryn Gardner scored nine points in the season opener, connecting on three three-pointers while adding four assists and a steal. Gardner appeared in all 34 games last season, averaging 6.0 points per contest.
- Turner and Bettencourt combined for 218 assists last season, while Turner and Whittaker accounted for 1,152 points.
THE ROAD TO LAS VEGAS
- The Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament will take place March 9-13, 2027, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
- All nine Pac-12 women's basketball programs are scheduled to participate in the conference tournament.
- Gonzaga closes its inaugural Pac-12 regular season on March 6 against Washington State inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
FORTIER CLOSING IN ON ALL-TIME WINS RECORD
- Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier is in her 13th season leading the Bulldogs and holds a 314-84 career record with a .789 winning percentage following the season-opening victory over North Dakota State.
- Fortier is now just three victories away from becoming the winningest head coach in Gonzaga women's basketball history, surpassing Kelly Graves' program record of 316 wins.
- Fortier earned her 300th career victory on Jan. 2, 2026, against Seattle U, becoming the fastest coach in Gonzaga history to reach the milestone.
- Fortier reached 300 wins in her 379th career game, matching LSU's Kim Mulkey for the fastest among active Division I women's basketball head coaches.
- Fortier has recorded 11 20-win seasons in her first 12 years leading the program, including a 24-win campaign in 2025-26.
NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
- Gonzaga is scheduled to make seven national television appearances during the 2026-27 regular season as the Bulldogs enter their first year in the Pac-12 Conference.
- The national television schedule features four games on USA Network, two on The CW and one on CBS Sports Network.
- An additional eight Gonzaga games are scheduled to air locally on SWX.
- Pac-12 home games not selected for national television will be available to stream for free on Pac-12 platforms.
