Gonzaga women secure important win over Portland 76-71
The Gonzaga women’s basketball team was on the brink of an all-out collapse - similar to the two overtime setbacks where it coughed up double-digit leads this season.
The Bulldogs dug deep, though, crawling out from under mostly self-inflicted misery and holding off the Portland Pilots 76-71 in a West Coast Conference game Thursday at Chiles Center in Portland.
With 6 minutes and 26 seconds to go in the third quarter, the Zags led 52-33. In a frenetic final 16 minutes, Gonzaga managed to withstand Portland knotting the score at 67-67 with 1:53 to go.
Somehow, Gonzaga survived 23 turnovers. Many of the mistakes came against full-court pressure.
A three-point play from Alexis Mark tied the score at 67-67 at the 1:53 mark.
Yvonne Ejim gave the Zags the lead for good moments later at 69-67 when she drove left and hit a soft basket off the glass with 1:26 to go. The basket put Ejim, who sat much of the fourth quarter with four fouls, in double figures for the 58th straight game.
Saint Mary’s graduate transfer Tayla Dalton, in her fourth game for the Zags since returning from injury, scored the most points she’s had as a Zag with 14 points. Her most important points came on a dribble drive when she banked in a basket with 31 seconds to go to extend Gonzaga’s lead to 72-69.
Portland was forced to foul thereafter, and freshman Allie Turner hit two foul shots and Ejim secured the win with two free throws with 12 seconds remaining.
“I thought we did a really good job of not getting rattled,” Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said. “We played loose and comfortable in the beginning and once it got close it could go two ways - (Portland) could have run away with it if we hadn’t had some responses. A couple made baskets, some free throws and (defensive) stops once they tied it. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
It was Portland’s second straight loss after a 14-0 start. The Pilots slipped to 3-2 in the WCC.
Gonzaga evened its overall record at 8-8 and 3-2 in the WCC.
Senior forward Maud Huijbens stepped up big for Gonzaga after suffering shooting woes the last two games. She hit her first nine shots, finishing with a double-double (19 points, 12 rebounds). Ejim had 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists and Turner finished with 11 points, six assists and three rebounds.
“Vonnie (Ejim) struggled a little bit from the field and when your best player struggles … we’ve been talking about covering for each other on defense and covering for each other in different ways,” Fortier said. “She’s given us 20 points in almost every game this year. So in a game where she doesn’t shoot her normal percentage how are we going to cover for her?’
Gonzaga got the start it wanted on the road.
Huijbens led the Zags with 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting in the first half.
The Zags had their typical turnovers in the first half, but Portland had one more with 10.
The Zags got a basket in transition from Esther Little sandwiched by 3-pointers by Salenbien and Dalton allowed Gonzaga to finish the first half on an 8-0 surge and take its biggest lead at 43-30 into intermission.
“Maud, Tayla and Bree (Salenbien) did a great job,” Fortier said. “Maud was really comfortable and ready to shoot. Our whole team is better when we’re ready to shoot. The three of them, that’s what experience does.”
Trista Hull led Portland with 18 points, Maisie Burnham from Liberty High in Spangle had 16 and McKelle Meek and Emme Shearer added 14 apiece.
Gonzaga plays its fourth game in a week on Saturday when Santa Clara visits McCarthey Athletic Center. Tip is at 2 p.m.