Shooting betrayed the Gonzaga women’s basketball team Thursday, especially in the first half.
San Francisco took advantage, never letting the visiting Bulldogs get untracked.
The Dons played well, topping the Zags 73-58 in a West Coast Conference opener for both teams at War Memorial Gym.
The loss snapped seven consecutive wins in conference openers for Gonzaga (5-7) and ended the Zags’ 17-game winning streak against the Dons (4-6).
The Zags warmed up from the field in the second half, but they likely couldn’t have been any colder than they were in the first two quarters. The Bulldogs missed 10 of their first 11 shots in the first quarter, falling behind 14-2. But an 8-0 surge pulled Gonzaga within 14-10.
That was the Zags’ offensive highlight of the opening half. They proceeded to go 4 minutes and 14 seconds scoreless at one point in the second quarter.
Emma Trawally Porta’s 3-pointer gave the Dons their biggest lead at 30-14 with 1:47 to go before halftime.
Gonzaga easily had one of its worst shooting halves of the season to start the game . The Zags made 7 of 30 shots from the floor (23.3%) and 2 of 16 3-pointers after hitting 12 of 24 behind the 3-point arc Saturday in a win against Eastern Washington.
The Dons led 31-17 at halftime.
San Francisco made 11 of 26 from the floor (42.3%) in the first half and 5 of 12 3-pointers (42.3%).
By game’s end, the difference in 3-point-shooting was glaring. The Dons made 11 of 23 while the Zags were 7 of 28.
San Francisco led from start to finish. Trawally Porta’s 3-pointer gave the Dons a 44-26 lead midway in the third quarter.
Gonzaga clawed back within 47-37 to end the third period. The Zags had several opportunities to trim the Dons’ lead to under double digits but struggled to do so. Yvonne Ejim’s two free throws cut San Francisco’s lead to 57-48 with 5:20 remaining in the game, but Gonzaga didn’t get any closer.
The Zags were forced to send the Dons to the free-throw line late.
San Francisco made 10 of 12 in the final 2:19 to thwart any hopes of a Gonzaga comeback.
The teams combined for 36 turnovers, with the Zags committing 17, one below their season average. Gonzaga had 13 assists.
Ejim led Gonzaga with 20 points, the 54th straight time she’s reached double figures and the eighth time this year that she’s scored 20 or more. She added five rebounds and four assists. GU’s Maud Huijbens had 11 points and six rebounds, and Allie Turner chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Tawally Porta led four Dons in double figures with 18 points and seven rebounds.
USF’s Luana Leite added 12 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Gonzaga concludes its two-game road trip to open WCC on Saturday at San Diego (4-6), which fell 65-42 to visiting Washington State (6-6) in another WCC opener Thursday.
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