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Overtime Surge Lifts Gu Women Past San Diego

Kevin Blocker Staff Writer

Women’s basketball

The Gonzaga Bulldogs women’s basketball team started off West Coast Conference competition with a hard-fought 77-64 overtime win Thursday night against the San Diego Toreros at the Martin Centre.

For most of the game, a Bulldogs (1-0 WCC, 6-6) win was looking highly unlikely.

Impotent on the offensive end and trailing 45-34 with 14 minutes to play, GU was sparked by the hustle of freshman Sandy Gere and the rebounding of Staci Andrews.

Gere scored just five points, but they all came when the Bulldogs went on a 10-0 run to pull within a point. She and Andrews were responsible for tying up Toreros players for loose balls on the defensive end. Andrews, a 5-foot-6 guard, finished with 15 rebounds to lead all players in that category.

“I don’t know what got into Sandy, but I hope it keeps coming back,” said GU coach Kellee Knowles.

Actually, it wasn’t a matter of what got into Gere as it was what Gere was. Thursday night anyway, she was “No Fear” Gere.

“In a Christmas gift exchange with the team, I got a No Fear T-shirt that says, ‘You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take’,” she said.

Gere, from Ione, Wash., a victim of competition deficiency, has had some trouble adjusting to life at the Division I level of play.

“At a B school, you might face one or two talented players in the league all season,” Gere said. “I’m not a very cocky person, and you have to have a little attitude to play at this level.”

With Ivy Safranski and Sarah Christensen on the bench in foul trouble, Gere, Andrews and Joy Pauley, who collected 12 rebounds, brought GU back before the starters returned to put GU over the top.

Safranski, in foul trouble most of the second half, went on one of her patented shooting streaks to lead all scorers with 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the floor.

At the end of regulation the score was tied at 61. In overtime, Gonzaga outscored San Diego 16-3. San Diego (0-1, 5-7) lost its first conference opener in five years.

Still, in the words of Knowles, it was an “ugly win.”

“U-G-L-Y. I went in at halftime and basically screamed at them,” Knowles said. GU trailed 32-24 after shooting 9 of 34 from the floor in the half and a horrendous 4 for 11 from the free-throw line.

In the first half, GU did get spirited play from Kelli Howell. She scored 12 points to go with nine rebounds. Howell’s spirit even showed before the start of the game as she sang the national anthem.

GU will host San Francisco Satur day night at 7 p.m.

Gonzaga 77, San Diego 64 (OT) SAN DIEGO (0-1, 5-7)

King 4-15 1-2 9, Eiermann 2-13 1-2 7, Jensen 1-2 2-2 4, Brovelli 4-9 8-9 16, de Jesus 2-13 1-2 5, K. Ambrose 1-8 2-2 4, Murray 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 0-3 0-0 0, Lorr. Watson 2-5 0-0 4, Lori. Watson 4-6 1-2 9, H. Ambrose 3-6 0-0 6, Andagan 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-81 16-21 61.

GONZAGA (1-0, 6-6)

Herman 2-5 0-0 5, Safranski 8-12 6-8 23, Howell 6-14, 0-1 12, Christensen 2-11 0-0 4, Pauley 3-13 0-2 7, Ledgerwood 1-3 2-2 4, McCliment 0-2 0-0 0, Andrews 3-5 2-4 8, Gere 1-3, 2-2, 5, Silva 2-8, 5-9 9. Totals 28-76 17-28 77.

Halftime-San Diego 32, Gonzaga 24. 3-Point goals-San Diego, Eiermann (2-10). Gonzaga, Herman (1-1), Safranksi (1-3), Pauley (1-4), Gere (1-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Whitworth 58 (de Jesus 9), Gonzaga 62 (Andrews 15). Assists-San Diego 6, Gonzaga 8. Total fouls-San Diego 25, Gonzaga 19. A-746.

Washington State 85, UCLA 80 At Pullman, Kelli Kronberger came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points in leading the Cougars (1-2 Pac-10, 8-4) past the Bruins (1-2, 6-6) at Friel Court.

The win snapped a seven-game losing streak to UCLA and was the first WSU victory since 1991, when the Cougars took a 78-77 win in Pullman.

Washington State will host No. 20

Southern Cal Saturday at 7 p.m.

UCLA (1-2, 6-6)

Hughes 11-19 1-2 23, Bennett 3-10 0-0 7, Kuypers 3-8 5-6 12, Hilbert 6-15 2-2 14, Grimes 4-6 5-8 13, Oenning 0-0 2-2 2, Kristich 1-3 1-1 3, Collins 2-3 1-2 5, Veasey 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 30-65 18-25 80. WASHINGTON STATE (1-2, 8-4)

Ruff 4-7 6-9 15, Saneholtz 4-9 1-3 9, Ellis 7-13 0-0 14, Wight 3-11 0-0 8, Jarosch 2-7 1-2 6, Kronberger 6-9 0-0 16, Erickson 6-6 2-2 15, Evans 0-0 0-0 0, Kunze 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 33-64 10-16 85.

Halftime score - WSU 42, UCLA 37. 3-point goals - UCLA 2-7 (Bennett 1-2, Kuypers 1-3, Hilbert 0-2), WSU 9-20 (Ruff 1-1, Wight 2-7, Jarosch 1-4, Kronberger 4-7, Erickson 1-1). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - UCLA 48 (Hughes 12), WSU 30 (Ellis 10). Assists - UCLA 12 (Kuypers, Grimes 4), WSU 22 (Jarosch 9). Total fouls - UCLA 19, WSU 20. Technical fouls - None. A - 818.

(15) Washington 67, (20) USC 53 At Seattle, Shannon Kelly scored 11 of her career-high 19 points during a 20-4 Washington run early in the second half that put the Huskies (2-1 Pac-10, 12-4) ahead for good against the Trojans (1-2, 8-3).

SOUTHERN CAL (8-3)

Thompson 6-10 3-4 15, Anton 0-3 0-0 0, Jeffery 4-5 2-2 10, Gomez 5-12 2-2 13, Shields 6-12 1-4 13, Campbell 1-4 0-0 2, Jackson 0-1 0-0 0, Porter 0-0 0-0 0, Kartz 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-48 8-12 53.

WASHINGTON (12-4)

Lewis 4-8 0-2 8, Pelz 1-5 1-4 3, Smith 4-9 4-7 12, Foucade 2-7 3-4 8, Kelly 7-12 0-2 19, Savasta 3-8 6-6 13, Gonsalves 1-4 0-0 2, Tilbrook 0-0 2-3 2, Niemela 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 22-56 16-28 67.

Halftime-Washington 29, Southern Cal 23. 3-Point goals- Southern Cal 1-5 (Gomez 1-3, Anton 0-1, Jackson 0-1), Washington 7-15 (Kelly 5-9, Savasta 1-1, Foucade 1-3, Niemela 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Southern Cal 35 (Jeffery 8), Washington 34 (Smith 9). Assists-Southern Cal 7 (Gomez 3), Washington 13 (Foucade 5). Total fouls-Southern Cal 23, Washington 17. Technical-Jeffery. A-3,863.