How to watch Utah play Gonzaga in the women’s NCAA Tournament’s second round
No. 5 seed Utah (23-10) vs. No. 4 seed Gonzaga (31-3)
Women’s NCAA Tournament second round
Tip: Monday, 8:30 p.m. MDT.
Venue: McCarthey Athletic Center (Spokane, Washington).
TV: ESPN2.
Livestream: Watch ESPN.
Radio: 700 AM.
Series: Utah leads, 5-4. The Utes and Bulldogs have never met in the NCAA Tournament, but Utah won their most recent matchup in the 2016 WNIT second round. The Utes have a 2-2 record vs. Gonzaga in Spokane.
The trends
For Utah: The Utes (23-10) have won in the NCAA Tournament’s first round during each of the past three seasons, all by double-digits, and made it to the Sweet Sixteen last year. Utah is 4-2 under Lynne Roberts in the NCAA Tournament.
For Gonzaga: The Bulldogs (31-3) are playing in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time under head coach Lisa Fortier. That includes seven straight NCAA appearances, not counting the 2019-20 season when the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
Quotable
“I think last night’s game was a good game for us. It wasn’t easy. And we found a way to win when we weren’t tremendous for 40 minutes. But we did what we needed to against a very, very good South Dakota State team,” said Utah coach Lynne Roberts. “And now we get ready for Gonzaga. And certainly know that they’ve had a great season, great program. Playing on the road. So pressure is on them, not on us, which is a great spot to be in.”
“I think that both teams have challenges and strengths, areas that they can be strong against each other and areas that they are going to have work through,” said Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier. “Hopefully we do a better job of our strengths and minimizing theirs. But I’m excited.”
The stakes
For Utah: Utah is trying to advance again to the Sweet Sixteen — last year, the Utes lost to eventual national champion LSU in the Round of 16. If they win, this would be the first time in school history Utah advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in back-to-back seasons. The deepest run the Utes have ever made was in 2006, when they reached the Elite Eight.
For Gonzaga: While they are becoming an NCAA staple, the Zags are trying to get back to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2015. From 2010 to 2015, Gonzaga made it to the Sweet Sixteen four times and advanced to the Elite Eight in 2011.
Players to watch
For Utah: The Utes’ All-American forward, Alissa Pili, scored a game-high 26 points while making 11 of 20 field goals and three 3-pointers in Utah’s NCAA opener. Kennady McQueen added 17 points and six assists, while forward Jenna Johnson helped neutralize South Dakota State’s top player, Brooklyn Meyer, in addition to her 8 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. All three should have significant roles again Monday.
For Gonzaga: Like Utah with Pili, the Bulldogs have a star forward who is the center of their offense. Yvonne Ejim averages 20.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and on Saturday in a first-round win over UC Irvine, she scored 25 points and added 14 rebounds, four assists and a block. Another key contributor for Gonzaga is former Utah guard Brynna Maxwell, who is averaging 14.4 points while shooting 44.7% from 3-point range in her second season in Spokane.
