Elite Eight rematch looms large over opening weekend

It's rare that an opportunity presents itself the way it has for the Gonzaga women's basketball team. But just two games into the regular season, the Zags can avenge last season's heartbreaking Elite Eight loss.

After making the deepest NCAA tournament run in program history, the outmanned Zags dropped an agonizing 83-60 loss to the Stanford Cardinal in Spokane Arena, ending a miraculous post-season run. The loss also marked the end of a record-breaking career for point guard Courtney Vandersloot. Adding another storyline for Monday's game with the No. 5 ranked Cardinal in Palo Alto.

The Bulldogs were unable to handle the superior post presences of sisters Chiney and Nnemkadi Ogumike, who outmuscled the Zags to the tune of 41 combined points and 26 rebounds. Both sisters return for the rematch, and are expected to be as physically intimidating as ever. The question will then be, will this season be any different.

One difference will be clear, as each team's primary playmakers are gone. Jeannette Pohling,  Stanford's point guard a season ago, was drafted ninth in the WNBA draft.

In order to defend the Ogumikes, the Bulldogs will need starting post players Kelly Bowen and Kayla Standish to exert maximum energy, as well as reserve posts Stephanie Golden, Shannon Reader and freshmen Shelby Cheslek.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs' interior players, they will have Friday's season-opener with Hofstra Pride to get a game under their belts. Hofstra won't provide the same inside battles that Stanford will (they only have two players taller than 6-feet), but it will give them an opportunity to be reintroduced to the physicality of live games. The experience will be especially important for Cheslek, who will be making her Zag debut.

While the Pride may not mimic the Cardinals size, they do feature one of the country's premier forwards in Shante Evans, who plyed alongside Standish and Katelan Redmon on this summer's Pan American games.

Evans averaged 18.6 points per game and 11 rebounds per game last season for the Pride.

Gonzaga opens its regular season against the Pride Friday at 4 p.m. at McCarthey Athletic Center.