Yvonne Ejim scores 35 points, go-ahead basket as Gonzaga women outlast Portland 66-65

Superwoman – otherwise known as Yvonne Ejim – appeared at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Thursday during the time.

The graduate forward scored seven of his career-high 35 points in the final minute, a rebound basket with 9.4 seconds left lifted Gonzaga to a 66-65 victory over the Portland Pilots before 5,414 at the Kennel.

Check back in late February to see how critical the Zags’ West Coast Conference win, their second in two weeks over Portland, could be when it comes to conference tournament seeding.

Ejim’s 13th rebound, off a driving attempt by freshman point guard Allie Turner, sealed the victory as she finished with a 32nd double-double.

Ejim said her final rebound is a drill the Zags practice.

“We always say you miss out,” Ejim said. “But I think something came over me and I thought, if this shot doesn’t go in, I’m going right to the basket. I thought Allie’s layup was going to go in, but just in case, I was like, so let’s just go to the edge and see to it.”

The win keeps Gonzaga (11-8, 6-2 WCC) in a three-way tie for first place with Washington State and Saint Mary’s with Oregon State one game back in the win column.

“It’s a big win,” Fortier said. “The way the conference is going to work this year … who knows beyond (this week). So hopefully the biggest part of the win isn’t who played or who got the win — it’s just that our team has to know we’re capable of (winning) with whoever we have. Other people have to step up.”

Fortier alluded to playing without 6-foot-3 graduate forward Maud Huijbens, who Fortier said is in concussion protocol. Gonzaga could certainly have used Huijbens after she had 19 points and 12 rebounds in a win in Portland two weeks ago.

The game turned into a classic grind-it-out knucklebuster.

How big were the 35 points for Ejim, whose previous best was 32? Consider that no other Zag scored in double figures. But there were many contributions from others in several ways.

Gonzaga used defense to force seven turnovers in the third quarter, and the Bulldogs took advantage. They used the energy to fuel the offense and took a 49-38 lead into the fourth quarter.

Portland (16-3, 5-3) battled back. Two free throws from Alexis Mark gave the Pilots the lead at 60-59 with 1:59 left.

The lead would change hands four more times before Ejim’s putback secured the win.

“(I remember thinking) if we want this game, we’ve got to go out there and get it,” Ejim said. “We all did a great job together, like really having each other know it and feel it. And I think the energy just helped me.”

Huijbens’ presence was especially lacking in the first half.

Freshman point guard Allie Turner hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left before halftime to tie the game at 29-29.

It was the Zags’ second 3-pointer in 13 attempts in the first half.

Both teams shot poorly in the first 20 minutes – mainly because both teams defended effectively.

Each team had one player with them in the first half. For Gonzaga, it was graduate forward Yvonne Ejim who had 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go with eight rebounds.

For Portland, Liberty of Spangle graduate Maisie Burnham went wild for 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting. She finished with a team-high 20.

Gonzaga travels to Los Angeles to take on Loyola Marymount on Saturday.

After a 1-2 start in the WCC, the Zags have won five in a row.