Zags give Graves win for birthday

PORTLAND – “Happy Birthday to you …”

Getting double-figure scoring from three players and points from 12 of 14 who played, the Gonzaga women’s basketball team helped coach Kelly Graves celebrate his 50th birthday Monday with an 82-51 West Coast Conference victory over the Portland Pilots in Chiles Center.

Sophomore Keani Albanez hit a 3-pointer at the 11:22 mark of the first half, halting a 9-2 run by the Pilots that had pulled them within a point and fueling a 13-2 Gonzaga rebuttle.

Five Bulldogs scored in the run that gave Gonzaga (13-5, 3-1 WCC) a 28-16 lead as it rebounded from a loss at Saint Mary’s last week. Portland (5-12, 0-4) could get no closer than 11 the rest of the way.

In fact, when the Pilots’ Kari Luttinen converted a four-point play – a 3-pointer and free throw – to cut GU’s lead to 39-28, senior Taelor Karr responded with a 3 and order was restored for the Zags.

Karr led GU with 20 points, 16 in the second half. Haiden Palmer had 11 of her 13 in the first half.

 Gonzaga (13-5, 3-1) – Greinacher 3-4 3-4 9, Cheslek 2-3 0-1 4, Palmer 5-11 1-2 13, Karr 7-10 2-2 20, Redmon 2-4 1-2 5, Waters 2-3 0-0 4, Viela 2-2 0-0 6, Walter 0-1 0-0 0, Winters 1-5 0-0 3, Nilles 0-1 0-0 0, Kudron 1-4 2-2 4, Albanez 4-9 0-2 10, Golden 1-5 0-2 2, Tinkle 1-4 0-0 2, Totals 31-66 9-17 82.

Portland (5-12, 0-4) – Thompson 2-7 2-3 6, Pupa 1-4 0-0 2, Nurmi 0-4 0-0 0, Luttinen 5-11 4-5 15, Wooton 3-11 2-2 9, Olinger 0-0 0-0 0, Hernandez 0-0 0-0 0, Byrd 2-4 2-6 6, Holopainen 5-11 0-0 11, Snyder 0-1 0-0 0, Boettcher 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 2-2 2, Totals 18-53 12-18 51.

Halftime—Gonzaga 34-20. 3-Point Goals—Gonzaga 11-23 (Palmer 2-4, Karr 4-6, Viela 2-2, Walter 0-1, Winters 1-4, Albanez 2-6), Portland 12-18 (Thompson 2-3, Luttinen 4-5, Wooton 2-2, Byrd 2-6, Johnson 2-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Gonzaga 39 (Greinacher 6), Portland 37 (Pupa 11). Assists—Gonzaga 19 (Palmer, Redmon 4), Portland 10 (Pupa, Wooton 4). Total Fouls—Gonzaga 17, Portland 16. Technicals—None. A—469.