LAS VEGAS When the coronavirus pandemic shut down college basketball a year ago, BYU s senior class along with seniors across the country was sent off into a disappointing ending.
In men s basketball, that included such high-profile names as Yoeli Childs, Jake Toolson, T.J. Haws and Dalton Nixon not getting the senior send-off they felt they deserved: a shot at BYU s first NCAA Tournament in a generation of college students.
On the women s team, similar feelings were had by seniors like Brenna Chase, who teamed up with Paisley Johnson Harding and Shaylee Gonzales to form a Splash Sisters trio in the 2018-19 season that was dynamic offensively and downright fun, right up to the NCAA s Round of 32.
Shades of Paisley: Harding goes off for 23 to lead BYU women by USF for WCC title game berth ksl.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ksl.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The dynamic BYU guard did just that Tuesday.
Gonzales was named WCC co-player of the year alongside Gonzaga s Jenn Wirth, and BYU coach Jeff Judkins earned coach of the year honors in a vote of league coaches announced Tuesday by the conference.
Gonzales Big Three teammates of Lauren Gustin and Paisley Johnson Harding joined the Gilbert, Arizona product as conference first-team selections. Graduate transfer Teegan Graham and senior Sara Hamson were named All-WCC honorable mentions.
It s a group of players with swagger, but also a lethal mentality, be it in scoring, rebounding or defense. We have that killer instinct, especially Shaylee Gonzales; that is her, Harding told KSL.com. I think I have that same instinct. When we re both on the court and as leaders of this team, we ll find a way. I think Teegan has that fighters mentality, too, and so many girls who have bought into that mentality. Whatever it takes, we re driven to do greatness.
2021/02/03 12:07 SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) Jill Townsend scored 18 points, Kayleigh Truong added 11 and No. 19 Gonzaga held off BYU for a 63-56 victory on Tuesday night for its 15th straight win. The Bulldogs (16-2, 11-0 West Coast Conference) entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead before BYU tied it at 54 on Shaylee Gonzales 3-pointer with 1:54 remaining. Cierra Walker answered with consecutive 3s between between a BYU turnover to help Gonzaga pull away. Walker finished with nine points on three 3-pointers. Townsend was 6-of-13 shooting and made a made a pair of 3s. Truong, who had 17 assists in the last two games including a career-high nine against Saint Mary’s on Saturday, had one of the Bulldogs’ nine assists.
Gonzales scored 18 points with three rebounds and three assists as the Cougars rolled to a 72-58 win over the Bobcats on Thursday afternoon in front of a sparse, socially distanced crowd at the Marriott Center.