The Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the UC Irvine Anteaters in the first round of the 2024 women’s March Madness tournament on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2), in what should be an exciting 4-vs-13 battle.
Gonzaga has become a very familiar name around March. The Lady Bulldogs have made the NCAA tournament in 14 of the past 16 years, however, they haven’t advanced past the second round since Lisa Fortier’s first year as head coach back in 2014-15. The Zags went a dominating 30-3 this season and a perfect 16-0 in conference play, but they lost a heartbreaker to Portland in the WCC conference championship.
UC Irvine, meanwhile, is riding high. This is just the second March Madness tournament in the program’s history, and the first time since 1995 the Anteaters have made it. They enter the tourney on a six-game winning streak, most recently winning the Big West championship over a UC Davis squad they held to just 39 points.
Can the Anteaters mount a massive upset and drop the Bulldogs? Or, will the more experienced Zags take care of business and head into the second round? Let’s dive into this intriguing first-round matchup, taking a look at the odds as well as some key stats and trends, players to watch and our prediction.
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Gonzaga vs. UC Irvine odds
Early odds have Gonzaga as a big 23.5-point favorite entering Saturday’s matchup, according to BetMGM.
- Odds: Gonzaga (-23.5)
- Date: Saturday, March 23
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN2
- Arena: McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, WA
Gonzaga (30-3, 16-0 in WCC)
The 10th-scoring team in the nation, Gonzaga averages 81.2 points per game and outscores opponents by an average of 21.3 PPG. The Bulldogs’ one-point loss to Portland in the West Coast championship marked the first time they scored fewer than 70 points since Christmastime. Over their nine games prior to the WCC title game, the Zags averaged 84 PPG.
The Bulldogs can score. They shoot 48.5 percent from the field and a staggering 40 percent from three-point land. They also hold opponents to 28.4 percent from deep and out-rebound foes by 9.5 boards per game, all factors that should be seen as big positives entering the Madness of a single-elimination tournament.
While identical twins Kaylynne and Kayleigh Truong run the offense, Yvonne Ejim is the lifeblood of this Gonzaga squad. The senior forward from Calgary averages 19.8 PPG on 61.3 percent shooting, and she also hauls in 8.5 boards per game while racking up defensive stats. UC Irvine hasn’t seen anyone like her all season.
Key players
Yvonne Ejim, F, Sr. (6-1): 19.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.2 apg, 1.5 spg
Brynna Maxwell, G, Sr. (6-0): 14.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.0 apg
Kaylynne Truong, G, Sr. (5-8): 11.6 ppg, 5.9 apg, 2.3 rpg
Kayleigh Truong, G, Sr. (5-9): 11.9 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.2 rpg
MORE: Buy tickets to 2024 March Madness games
UC Irvine (23-8, 16-4 in Big West)
Coming off the program’s second Big West tournament title — and the first in nearly three decades — UC Irvine is back in the Big Dance. Déja Lee, the Big West Player of the Year, was once again the central catalyst for the Anteaters’ success.
Lee finished off a stellar season ranked among the top five in the Big West in scoring, steals, field goal percentage, three-point shooting, and three-pointers made made. She has reached double-digits in scoring 21 times, with seven 20-point performances. She also holds the single-season school record with 79 steals.
UCI ranks 11th in the nation in scoring defense (55.0 PPG). The ‘Eaters gave up a season-high 76 points in an overtime win at Long Beach State on March 2, which snapped an incredible 60-game streak of holding opponents to under 70. The next time out, Tamara Inoue’s squad allowed a season-low 31 points in a 65-31 blowout of Cal Poly.
Key players
Déja Lee, G, Jr. (5-9): 13.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.5 spg, 2.2 apg
Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, G, Sr. (6-1): 11.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 0.9 apg
Diaba Konate, G, Sr. (5-7): 7.6 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.5 apg, 2.1 spg
WOMEN’S BRACKET GUIDES: Iowa | South Carolina | LSU | USC | UConn
Gonzaga vs. UC Irvine prediction
Gonzaga flat-out has too much scoring and too balanced an attack for UCI to keep up. The Anteaters play solid defense, but they also haven’t been tested by legitimate powerhouses like the Bulldogs.
Expect the Truong twins to make a name for themselves in this one, and for Ejim to take over the game like she has throughout the majority of the season. It’s been a great run for UC Irvine, but this should be an easy W for the Zags.
