LAS VEGAS (AP) — Shaylee Gonzales scored 20 points, Paisley Harding added 14 and No. 15 BYU beat fourth-seeded Portland 59-52 on Monday in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament.
Top-seeded BYU (26-2) avenged its only conference loss this season, falling 75-64 at Portland on Feb. 3, to earn a chance at its first WCC tournament championship since 2019 on Tuesday night.
Maria Albiero capped BYU’s 10-0 run with a 3-pointer from the corner for a 52-46 lead. The Cougars turned it over on their next possession and Lucy Cochrane sank a jumper at the free-throw line to get Portland within 52-50.
Harding made two free throws at 46.7 to rebuild BYU’s two-possession lead and after Maisie Burnham went 1 of 2 at the stripe, Gonzales added two more free throws at 29.1.
Tegan Graham had 11 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and Lauren Gustin grabbed 10 rebounds for BYU. Gonzales, the WCC player of the year, was 8 of 17 from the field, including 0 for 5 from distance.
Burnham scored 12 of her 17 points in the first half and Alex Fowler had 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for Portland (19-10). Cochrane had 12 points and eight blocks.
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