Women’s basketball roundup: San Diego hands Gonzaga second-straight loss

Katherine Hamilton and Malina Hood scored 14 points apiece and San Diego forced Gonzaga into 25 turnovers and beat the cold-shooting Bulldogs 63-54 in a West Coast Conference game Saturday at Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego.

The loss was GU’s second straight and it dropped the Bulldogs (13-6, 5-2) into a tie with Saint Mary’s for second place in the WCC.

The Bulldogs opened the game on an 8-0 run and held the Toreros scoreless for the first seven minutes, but couldn’t keep pace in the second half. GU made just 11 of 35 shots in the second half and none of their four 3-point attempts.

San Diego shot 15 of 25 after halftime.

Jill Barta scored 15 points and Kiara Kudron and Shelby Cheslek each pulled down 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs, who lost despite a 54-19 rebounding edge.

The Toreros (16-2, 6-1) are now tied with BYU atop the WCC standings.

Gonzaga hosts Saint Mary’s Thursday at 6 p.m.

Idaho 62, Southern Idaho 51: Geraldine McCorkell had 14 points and eight rebounds and Ali Forde added 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as the Vandals (12-5, 4-1) overcame a 13-point deficit and beat the Thunderbirds (3-12, 0-5) in a Big Sky Conference game in Cedar City, Utah.

Idaho made just 4 of 21 first-quarter shots and fell behind 19-8. Southern Utah’s Dari Frandsen hit a jumper early in the second quarter to give the Thunderbirds a 21-8 lead, its largest of the game.

The Vandals opened the third-quarter on a 9-2 run to cut Southern Utah’s lead to three and Idaho soared ahead for good with a 21-10 fourth-quarter charge.

Idaho hosts Montana on Thursday.

Eastern Washington 81, Northern Arizona 71: Hayley Hodgins had 24 points, 10 rebounds and three assists and the Eagles (10-6, 4-0) used a hot start to get past the Lumberjacks (5-10, 1-3) in a Big Sky Conference game in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Tisha Phillips made 15 of 16 free throws and added 20 points for Eastern Washington, which won its fifth straight.

The Eagles used a 25-14 first-quarter run to take control.

Eastern Washington hosts Montana State on Thursday and Montana next Saturday.

George Fox 82, Whitworth 72: Kaitlin Jamieson scored a career-high 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds as the second-ranked Bruins (15-0, 6-0) topped the Pirates (9-6, 4-2) in a Northwest Conference game in Newberg, Oregon.

K.C. McConnell led the Pirates with 26 points. She made 10 of 15 shots, including 3 of 4 3-pointers. Whitworth’s Faith Emerson added 14 points and nine rebounds and Jessica Thoens added 11 points and five assists.

George Fox forced 26 turnovers with its full-court press, a season-high for the Pirates.

Whitworth hosts NWC foe Pacific Lutheran Friday night at 6.

CC Spokane 94, Blue Mountain 79: Bri King made 9 of 14 shots, including 4 of 7 3-pointers, and scored 25 points to help guide the Sasquatch (12-6, 1-2) past the Timberwolves (7-10, 1-2) in a Northwest Athletic Conference game in Pendleton, Oregon.

Gese Gruber added 16 points and nine rebounds and Cali Moscrip chipped in 14 points, six assists and five rebounds for CCS, which put the game away with a 27-19 third-quarter run.

The Sasquatch host NWAC foe Walla Walla Wednesday at Spokane Falls Community College.

Southern Idaho 72, North Idaho 70: Kandiss Barber had 23 points and 11 rebounds and the Golden Eagles (20-1, 5-1) withstood North Idaho’s fourth-quarter charge and beat the Cardinals (15-4, 3-3) in a Scenic West Athletic Conference game in Twin Falls.

Shelby Cloninger scored 15 points and Stormee Van Belle added 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists for North Idaho, which cut into Southern Idaho’s 11-point lead with a 26-17 fourth-quarter run.

The Cardinals made 11 of 18 shots in the fourth, including 3 of 6 3-pointers.

North Idaho hosts Colorado Northwestern on Thursday.