Bulldogs halfway to conference perfection
Gonzaga sent a message Saturday afternoon, reaching the midpoint of the West Coast Conference women’s basketball schedule with a perfect record.
The Bulldogs destroyed second-place Santa Clara 88-52 before 1,807 fans at McCarthey Athletic Center. It marked their eighth straight win and seventh in the WCC to open a two-game lead in the conference standings.
“We said before the game this was the game everybody in the conference is looking at, they want to see what happens,” GU coach Kelly Graves said. “We wanted to make a statement and we did.”
The Bulldogs (16-6, 7-0) set the tone early, scoring 10 straight points, the last eight after four consecutive turnovers by the Broncos (16-5, 5-2), to lead 10-4. Vivian Frieson led the charge, turning two of the turnovers into coast-to-coast layups and assisting Heather Bowman on two other baskets.
Shortly after that, Gonzaga went on a 14-0 run with four different players scoring for a 27-9 lead. The lead reached 25 at 44-19 before the Zags settled for a 51-34 advantage at the half.
Bowman and Frieson combined for 29 of Gonzaga’s 45 points in the first half and 10 of the team’s 15 rebounds.
Less than 5 minutes into the second half, Santa Clara’s leading scorer Chandice Cronk went down with a knee injury. Driving to the basket, Cronk, one of the top 3-pointer shooters in WCC history, went down after Jami Bjorklund blocked her shot. Frieson ended up with a layup on the other end, but Cronk remained on the ground.
“We all feel so bad,” Frieson said. “We said a prayer for her. We said a prayer after the game and we all went over there and said (good luck). That was horrible.”
Cronk, who averages 17.2 points a game, finished with eight. The defense of Bjorklund and Michelle Elliott limited Cronk to just four shot attempts.
Santa Clara scored three quick points shortly after that, but the Bulldogs responded with a 17-0 run, with Bowman scoring the first seven en route to 26 points in 24 minutes.
The Zags dominated every phase, turning 19 turnovers into 30 points, outscoring the Broncos 38-22 in the paint, 17-6 on second-chance points and 22-8 by reserves. Gonzaga held a 51-32 rebounding edge.
Frieson, who missed the first seven games with a broken finger, moved into the starting lineup two games later at Tennessee after Bowman broke her hand and is becoming a force.
“I’m working a little bit harder than I have before,” said Frieson, who finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. “Coach told me he doesn’t want to go on a roller coaster with me this season. He wants me to constantly work hard. He gave me three goals: He wants me to rebound hard, he wants me to be a slasher and he wants me to be a defensive stopper. I took the challenge and I’m playing as hard as I can.”
Friesen, who averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds last season, leads the Bulldogs with 8.3 rebounds in league games and is scoring more than eight points a game this year.
“She’s been playing really well since we put her in the starting lineup with Heather,” Graves said. “What I was most proud of, she did a good job on (Jen) Gottschalk. Gottschalk still ended up with (12 points). She’s a good player. Vivian wanted the challenge and took it.”
Gottschalk, a 6-foot senior, averages more than 16 points a game and had 30 at GU last season.
GU, seeking a fourth straight WCC title, plays five of its final seven games on the road.