Gonzaga overcomes key injury
The ending was certainly better than the beginning.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs outshot, out-rebounded and outworked the Idaho Vandals Saturday afternoon before 2,047 fans and a local television audience at McCarthey Athletic Center, pulling away for a 70-53 non-conference women’s basketball win.
Anne Bailey came off the bench to start and scored 16 points, snared seven rebounds and blocked four shots. She was a last-second starter because best friend and roommate Ashley Anderson apparently injured the ACL in her left knee while chest-bumping Ashley Burke during the pre-game introductions.
“I was just thinking about Ashley,” Bailey said. “At first I was just out of it. Then we said we had a job to do … but at first it was hard.”
The Bulldogs (7-2) took control with a 17-10 run starting midway in the first half after the Vandals (5-4) had taken a 14-10 lead. Bailey started it with a short jumper from the left baseline and ended it with another 10-footer, but five other players scored. Gonzaga led 33-25 at halftime and Idaho never got closer than seven in the second half.
“When you’re aggressive you shoot the ball well,” Vandals coach Mike Divilbiss said, bemoaning 34 percent shooting and 20 turnovers. “We turned the ball over too many times, it’s as simple as that. We had too many people standing around and waiting for two people to everything.”
While Gonzaga had balance – Burke had 17 points, Raeanna Jewell 15 and Shannon Mathews 11 with nine assists – Idaho was pretty two dimensional. But Leilani Mitchell and Emily Faurholt, despite scoring 16 and 15 points respectively, were held below their 19-point averages.
“Job well done,” GU coach Kelly Graves said. “They’re both really good players, they’re going to get their points. … We tried to neutralize those two and keep the others from hurting us.”
Faurholt had 15 rebounds to go with her 14 points but made just 6 of 16 shots and was hounded into seven turnovers. Mitchell had five steals and five assists and though there were a few instances her speed burned the Bulldogs she never got a chance to take over the game.
The Bulldogs shot 46 percent, 50 in the second half. They had 23 assists on 30 baskets and blocked 11 shots, one short of the team record.
Bailey started the first six games of the season but was replaced in the starting lineup by 6-foot-3 Stephanie Hawk in the two previous games.
“The reason we did that is she is more of the go-to player with that second group we play,” Graves said. “It’s harder for her with that first group, so this is better for the team and better for her.”
As for the injury, not only do the Zags lose Anderson’s solid offensive contributions (9 points a game), they are now without their best defender and all-around athlete.
Gonzaga is back in action on Monday against Portland State in the second game of a seven-game homestand. Idaho is off until the Dec. 29 when the Vandals open Big West Conference play at Utah State.
Gonzaga 70, Idaho 53
Idaho (5-4)–Faurholt 6-16 2-2 15, Felton 3-7 0-1 8, Thoelke 1-10 3-4 5, Mitchell 6-9 3-4 16, Westbrooks 1-8 3-3 5, Summerhays 0-1 0-0 0, Summers 2-5 0-2 4. Totals 19-56 11-16 53.
Gonzaga (7-2)–Burke 8-14 1-2 17, Hawk 1-5 2-3 4, Bailey 7-11 2-2 16, Mathews 4-13 1-2 11, Jewell 7-15 0-0 15, Harris 1-2 0-0 2, Kane 1-1 0-0 3, Laney 1-2 0-0 2, Ridenour 0-2 0-0 0, Renius 0-0 0-0 0, Prichard 0-0 0-0 0, Lecoultre 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-65 6-9 70.
Halftime–Gonzaga 33, Idaho 25. 3-point goals–Idaho 4-17 (Felton 2-2, Mitchell 1-2, Faurholt 1-3, Summers 0-1, Thoelke 0-4, Westbrooks 0-5), Gonzaga 4-9 (Mathews 2-5, Kane 1-1, Jewell 1-2, Hawk 0-1). Fouled out–None. Rebounds–Idaho 35 (Faurholt 14), Gonzaga 42 (Hawk 12). Assists–Idaho 13 (Mitchell 5), Gonzaga 23 (Mathews 9). A–2,047.