Men: No. 5 seed BYU (18-14) vs. No. 4 seed Loyola Marymount (19-11)
West Coast Conference men’s basketball tournament quarterfinals
Saturday, 8 p.m. MST
Orleans Arena (Las Vegas)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, BYU Radio Sirius XM 143
Previous matchups: The Lions beat the Cougars 64-59 in Los Angeles in their first regular-season matchup, then BYU beat Loyola Marymount 89-61 in Provo in early February.
In their last game: BYU overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to beat Portland 82-71 in the WCC tournament second round on Friday night. Richie Saunders had a career-high 18 points as the Cougars outscored the Pilots 52-28 in the second half.
Loyola Marymount secured the fourth seed in the WCC tournament with a 75-67 win over Pepperdine in its regular-season finale last Saturday.
Key players: Forward Fousseyni Traore has been one of the Cougars’ most consistent players this season — in the two previous games against the Lions this season, he averaged 12 points, nine rebounds and 2.5 assists — and is coming off a game where he put up 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one block in the win over Portland.
Guard Cam Shelton leads the Lions with a 21.2-point scoring average, and in the two previous games against BYU this season, he’s averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and four assists per game.
What’s at stake: The winner of Saturday’s game will face top seed Saint Mary’s in the WCC tournament semifinals on Monday.
BYU’s Lauren Gustin (12) shoots the ball as BYU beats Pepperdine in the WCC tournament second round at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, March 3, 2023.
Nate Edwards, BYU photo
Women: No. 5 seed BYU (15-15) vs. No. 4 seed San Francisco (19-11)
West Coast Conference women’s basketball tournament quarterfinals
Saturday, 2 p.m. MST
Orleans Arena (Las Vegas)
TV: BYUtv
Previous matchups: BYU beat San Francisco 78-59 in Provo in their first regular-season matchup in January, then the Dons beat the Cougars 72-59 in San Francisco two weeks ago, a loss that started a three-game losing streak for BYU.
In their last game: The Cougars built a double-digit lead early and maintained that edge for much of the game in beating Pepperdine 74-59 in the WCC tournament second round on Friday.
The Dons are coming off a 61-51 win over Loyola Marymount in their regular-season finale, a victory that helped seal San Francisco the No. 4 seed in the WCC tournament and byes through the first two rounds.
Key players: Forward Lauren Gustin tied the WCC tournament record with 18 rebounds in the Cougars’ second-round win, and she added 23 points in the victory over Pepperdine. BYU’s double-double machine will again be the lynchpin to Saturday’s game.
Guard Ioanna Krimili leads the Dons’ offensive attack, averaging 17.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. She had 18 points and five assists in the win over BYU in mid-February.
What’s at stake: The winner of Saturday’s game will face top seed Gonzaga in the WCC tournament semifinals on Monday.