GU women defeat USF

SAN FRANCISCO – Gonzaga opened the game on a 15-2 run and held off San Francisco’s comeback attempt in a 68-40 West Coast Conference women’s basketball win Friday night.

The Dons went on a 12-2 run of their own following the Bulldogs’ opening barrage, but GU regained control.

Haiden Palmer made 9 of 18 shots, including 2 of 4 3-pointers and 6 of 8 from the line, and scored a game-high 26 points for Gonzaga. Sunny Greinacher added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Keani Albanez chipped in 12 points for the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga won the rebounding battle 50-31, which led to a 27-1 advantage in second-chance points.

San Francisco’s Denae Mary Williams scored 15 points and Taylor Proctor added 12. Hopes of a second-half rally for the Dons (7-10, 2-4) quickly evaporated as they made just 8 of 26 shots, including 2 of 9 3-point tries, in the final 20 minutes.

The win was Gonzaga’s fifth in a row and seventh in its past eight games. The Bulldogs (15-3, 5-1) play at Santa Clara on Sunday in the second game of a four-game road trip.