OREGON STATE (17-6, 9-1 WCC) at GONZAGA (16-7, 8-2 WCC)
THURSDAY, FEB. 5 | 6 P.M. PT | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER (6,000)
RADIO: 101.5 FM | GAME NOTES
TV: ESPN+ | LIVE STATS

THE TIPOFF
- The Gonzaga women's basketball team returns home to host Oregon State on Thursday, Feb. 5. 

- Freshman Lauren Whittaker is shooting at 55.3% from the floor, which ranks first in the West Coast Conference and 30th in the nation. With 458 points so far this season, she is second in scoring among other freshmen in the country and 15th overall.

- Gonzaga is currently ranked first in the country in three-point percentage at 40.5%. 

- Individually, Allie Turner leads the team in made threes this season with 58 and ranks 38th nationally. With averaging over 2 three-pointers a game, Turner also ranks sixth in the country in three-point shooting at 46.4%.

- Overall, the Bulldogs are shooting at an impressive 45.9% from the floor which ranks first in the WCC and 28th in the country.

- The Zags have outrebounded their opponents in 22 games this year and has a rebound margin of +10.9 to rank seventh in the country and first in the WCC.

- Whittaker has scored at least 20 points in 11 games so far this year. Against Oregon State, Whittaker scored 37 points to break the freshman single game record of 33 points.  She has reached double figures in scoring in 21 games played and has 11 double doubles, which is a GU freshman record.  

- Whittaker's 234 rebounds rank first among freshmen in the nation and 14th overall. She broke the freshman record for most rebounds in a season already, surpassing Heather Bowman's 209. 

- The Zags represent the last two WCC Freshman of the Year with Allie Turner winning it in 2025 and Zee Aokuso in 2024 during her time at Saint Mary's.

- Head coach Lisa Fortier currently sits at 305-81 in her career. Among active Division I coaches with at least five years at the level, she is currently ranked sixth in winning percentage (.790). Fortier is also now in second place on the WCC career coaching wins list with 179 and ranks first in winning percentage in WCC games at 87.2% (179-27). 

THE SERIES
SERIES INFO: Oregon State leads the overall series 6-2.
STREAK: Oregon State - 2
FIRST MEETING: In 1995, OSU won 76-61 in Corvallis.
LAST MEETING: Last month, the Zags lost to Oregon State on the road in overtime, 92-87. Lauren Whittaker led the team with a freshman record of 37 points.

SCOUTING THE BEAVS
- OSU enters at 17-6 overall and 9-1 in WCC play, sitting near the top of the league standings.

- Jenna Villa leads OSU at 15.9 points per game and is shooting 38% from three; she's averaging 19.2 ppg in conference play.

- Point guard Kennedie Shuler adds 11.9 ppg and a team-high 5.7 assists; she's shooting 54% from the field in conference games.

- The Beavers have won nine of their last ten games.

- OSU's defense allows just 60.6 points per game and holds opponents under 38% shooting.

300 WINS
- Head coach Lisa Fortier and her staff reached 300 wins on Jan 2 against Seattle. This victory marked a significant milestone for head coach Lisa Fortier, as it was her 300th career win, making her the fastest coach in GU history to reach this achievement. 

- Among active Division I women's basketball head coaches, Fortier and LSU's Kim Mulkey each captured their 300th career Division I win in their 379th career game. Connecticut's Geno Auriemma is the third-fastest active Division I head coach to reach 300 career Division I victories, collecting the milestone win in his 386th career game. 

-  Fortier is only 12 wins away from becoming the all-time winningest coach at Gonzaga history, as she is only behind Kelly Graves with 316 wins.

FRESHMAN STARS
- Against Pepperdine, Jaiden Haile led with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting and added 12 rebounds, marking her first double double. This performance was part of a historic moment for GU, as it's the first time in their history to have two freshmen achieve a stat line of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds each in a season. 

- Only two other freshmen in GU history have reached that stat line which was Heather Bowman (2006) and Jill Barta (2016).

- Haile and Whittaker join an elite list as only 10 other freshmen in GU history have recorded a double double (Jill Barta, Heather Bowman, Anne Bailey, Kelly Bowen, Janelle Bekkering, Courtney Vandersloot, Jenn Wirth, Ashley Anderson, Emma Wolfram, Shelby Cheslek).

- Freshman Paige Lofing has come off the bench to deliver some remarkable performances. Most recently against WSU, Lofing scored 17 points and went 4-for-5, from beyond the arc. Her only missed three in the game drew a foul and she made all three of her free throws. 

- Lofing and Whittaker are two of seven freshmen to score four more threes in a singlr game in GU history. They join Anne Bailey, Bree Salenbien, Zhane Templeton, Kayeligh Truong and Allie Turner. 

WHITTAKER TAKEOVER
- Against Oregon State, Whittaker scored 37 points, which was one point shy of tying the single game points record. She broke the freshman record as well for single point scoring.

- Lauren Whittaker scored 29 points against Colorado State. She is the first freshman to reach at least 29 points since Jill Barta in 2016 when she scored 31.

- Against Missouri State, Whittaker recorded 16 rebounds and her fourth double double of the year. The 16 rebounds marks second in a single game record for freshmen, only behind Anne Bailey with 20.

- Whittaker is one of three freshmen in GU history to reach 29 points or more in a game, joining Barta (2016) and Heather Bowman (2006).

- Whittaker currently has 11 double doubles on the season and holds the GU record for most as a freshman. She also ranks 10th in the nation in double doubles and first among freshmen.

- So far this season, Whittaker has had 11 games with 20 or more points. She is one of four freshmen in GU history to have multiple 20+ point games. (Allie Turner x5, Heather Bowman x8, Jill Barta x8)

- With 11 double doubles so far this season, Whittaker is one of five freshmen in Gonzaga history to have multiple double doubles in a season. (Barta x4, Bowman x4, Anne Bailey x2, Shelby Chelsek x2)
 

TRIPLE THREATS ALL AROUND
- Against San Diego, Gonzaga tied its most threes in a game with 12. Eight Zags made a three in the game, led by Teryn Gardner's four. Overall, the team shot at 48% (12 for 25).

- In 14 games this year, the Bulldogs have made eight or more threes in a game with the most being 12 against UC Davis and San Diego. 

- While Allie Turner has made the most three pointers with 58 at 46.4%, Lofing is shooting a team best 54.2% with 13 made this season.

- Five Zags have a shooting percentage beyond the arc above 35% (Gardner, Lofing, Turner, Whittaker and Wilson)

A.T. = AUTOMATIC FROM THREE
- Allie Turner is tied for #1 among all returners in three points made in 2024-25 and the first freshman since 2020-21 to record 100+ three pointers in a single season.

- Turner's 105 made threes is the most made in a single season at Gonzaga last season. She broke the record against UTSA to pass Brynna Maxwell's record of 96 in a single season (2023-24). She is one of two players in Gonzaga history, men's or women's, to reach 100 threes in a single season with the only other Bulldog being Dan Dickau in 2001-02.