Gonzaga WBB Announces Remaining Non-conference Schedule

[TerpZag]

Gonzaga WBB Announces Remaining Non-conference Schedule
Zags’ to play eight total non-conference games this season


SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga women's basketball non-conference slate is now available as it was announced during Numerica FanFest Tuesday evening on SWX. In addition to the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic Nov. 28-30, Gonzaga added five additional non-conference opponents.

"I am so happy we finally have a schedule to release," Head Coach Lisa Fortier said. "It has been very difficult to work through all the details, as we don't have a single game that transferred over from the schedule we originally planned. I am really happy with what we have put together. The Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic will give us a huge test right off the bat, and it doesn't get much easier from there. We are looking forward to every game we get to play this season, and we're hoping for a healthy, successful year."

Gonzaga officially kicks off the 2020-21 season Nov. 28-30 at the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Zags will face Oklahoma (Nov. 28, 3 p.m. PT), South Dakota (Nov. 29, 3 p.m. PT) and No. 1 South Carolina (Nov. 30, 12:30 p.m. PT) to open the non-conference slate.

The Bulldogs will continue play on the road the following week as they travel to South Dakota State (Dec. 6) and Wyoming (Dec. 8). Last season, the Jackrabbits finished 23-10 overall and advanced to the tournament championship of the Summit League, falling to eventual champion South Dakota. Wyoming—which the Zags defeated 64-54 last season in Laramie, Wyo.—completed the season with a 17-12 overall record with a 12-6 mark in the Mountain West conference. The Cowgirls season ended with a 79-71 loss to Boise State in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament.

Following its game in Laramie, Gonzaga will return back to Spokane for its lone home game of the non-conference slate. The Zags are set to welcome Montana out the Big Sky Conference to the McCarthey Athletic Center on Dec. 13. Last season, the Griz finished 17-13 overall with a 12-8 mark in Big Sky play. Montana fell to Northern Arizona 68-65 in the quarterfinals of the BSC Tournament in March to end its season.

The Bulldogs will hit the road once more for their final two non-conference games as part of the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas. The Zags will open the tournament against Eastern Michigan out of the Mid-American Conference on Dec. 20. The Eagles finished the 2019-20 season with a 16-15 overall record including an even 9-9 mark in MAC play. GU will close its non-conference schedule against North Alabama on Dec. 21 in its second and final game of the Holiday Hoops Classic. The Lions posted a 21-9 overall record during the 2020-21 slate including an 11-5 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Remaining game times will be announced at a later date.

2020-21 Gonzaga Women's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Date Opponent Time Location
Nov. 28 Oklahoma ! 3 p.m. Sioux Falls, SD
Nov. 29 South Dakota ! 3 p.m. Sioux Falls, SD
Nov. 30 South Carolina ! 12:30 p.m. Sioux Falls, SD
Dec. 6 at South Dakota State TBA Brookings, SD
Dec. 8 at Wyoming TBA Laramie, WY
Dec. 13 Montana TBA Spokane, WA
Dec. 20 Eastern Michigan # TBA Las Vegas, NV
Dec. 21 North Alabama # TBA Las Vegas, NV

! Bad Boy Mowers Classic – Sioux Falls, SD
# Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic – Las Vegas, NV
All Times Pacific

Gonzaga Article Link

[ZagDad84]

Thanks TerpZag,

I know everybody is scrambling to find non-conference games, but this schedule starts out fantastic and goes really quickly to meh.

The Bad Boys Mowers Classic is a great tournament for our Lady Zags. A very winnable game against a P-5 team, a second round game against a Top-5 mid-major finishing up against the consensus #1 team in the country. A great chance for the Lady Zags to shine, improve our NET number and measure this year's team against one of, if not the, best in the country. Very similar to the tournament in Vancouver. With our relatively experienced squad, this is a great opportunity for our ladies to start the season.

A game in Brookings against a Top-10 mid-major in South Dakota State will be a very difficult game, similar to our game against Missouri State (2018) in Springfield, Missouri. Another game that will help our NET rating if we can win it. A game in Laramie against Wyoming will be a difficult game but hopefully our depth will offset the effects of the elevation. A difficult game for little gain in my opinion, but it will give the girls another type of test.

The last three games are just meh. They will do nothing to improve our NET rating or our ranking. Just a game to keep the girls focused on basketball during the holidays and to get ready for the conference season. A loss in any of the last three games would be devastating to our hosting or at-large bid hopes. Ladies will need to keep focused on these games.

Just a little over 2 weeks to the Bad Boys Mowers Classic.

Who is going to sign up for FloHoops to watch the games?

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

Don't mean to be inconsiderate of the non-conference schedule, I am sure it was the best that Mike Roth and CLF could cobble together.

But it is hard to look forward to this schedule when we had games scheduled against Stanford, Arizona, WSU and Arkansas this year and this is the schedule we end up with. At least we are not missing the games in person.

Damn Covid,

ZagDad

[SkipZag]

Thanks ZD... agree with your thoughts on the OOC schedule.

I could tell during the interview with Mike that he was pretty upset with the whole Covid situation and that it weighs very heavy on him. To get only one team willing to come to Spokane just doesn’t seem fair. And to have the PAC-12 bail on their games with GU... well that’s sad. I’m sure that their players like the Hull twins will miss playing in front of their home town. And I feel the same way for the Wirths and Barfield. Playing in AZ infront of family... well...

Are we not able to work things out to allow these kids and their families to get together... sad that we can’t seem to get in a mind frame to find ways for these games to be played.

Last... I really hope that the universities work hard at getting these game broadcast in a way that families and fans can follow and support them.

FanFest was great last night!!

Go Zags!!

[ZagDad84]

And to have the PAC-12 bail on their games with GU... well that’s sad. I’m sure that their players like the Hull twins will miss playing in front of their home town. And I feel the same way for the Wirths and Barfield. Playing in AZ infront of family... well...

Are we not able to work things out to allow these kids and their families to get together... sad that we can’t seem to get in a mind frame to find ways for these games to be played.

It is not just Gonzaga or the WCC. I saw an interview with Kelly Graves at UO and he thought they may limit their OOC games to Portland, Portland State and Seattle U. Anything to not to have to travel very far and stay overnight.

We all have to live with the NCAA, Conference and local jurisdictions requirements and they differ from every conference and every jurisdiction.

Without the opportunity to play the P-5 conference teams, it is going to be very hard for a mid-major to host or possibly even get an at-large bid because they will not have had the opportunity in the OOC to play the P-5 teams and establish the quality of their team.

Little margin for error for the ladies this year.

Go Zags,

ZagDad