Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO – The height, strength and depth of the No. 23 Gonzaga Bulldogs proved too much for San Francisco as the Dons fell 68-40 Friday night at War Memorial Gym.
Denae Mary Williams powered in a career-high 15 points on 50 percent shooting to lead the Dons scoring.
Taylor Proctor added 12 points and a team-high four steals for USF, and
Rachel Howard's eight rebounds paced the Dons.
Aundrea Gordon, making her second straight start notched a game-high four assists.
Gonzaga, ranked 23rd in the USAToday Coaches Poll, was led by senior Haiden Palmer's 26 points while Sunny Grienacher added a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double on the night. The Bulldogs improve to a league-leading 5-1 in West Coast Conference action and 15-3 overall, while the Dons move to 7-10, 2-4 in WCC play.
Seconds after winning the opening tip, the Dons got on the board first after a Howard jumper put USF ahead for the only point in the evening before Gonzaga went on to score the next 15 points in the contest. Williams halted the seven-minute scoring drought with a strong move to the basket and power dribble with 12:22 remaining in the period. The layup sparked a 12-2 run where the sophomore from Rialto, Calif., earned eight of her points on the evening. The Dons narrowed the gap to 17-14 with 8:28 to play in the first half.
After USF's first-half push, the Bulldogs answered with a 19-5 run to close the period and extend the Zags' halftime lead to 36-19. Gonzaga extended the gap in the second period before eventually coming away from the Hilltop with a 68-40 victory, its fifth straight win.
The Bulldogs shot 37.3 percent for the night, their worst effort from the floor in conference action, and lowest percentage since a loss to Stanford. But the Dons couldn't overcome the 51-40 rebounding edge, where Gonzaga picked up 26 boards on the offensive glass. Another sore spot for the Dons came with 26 turnovers in the contest that led to 21 points. All told, the Bulldogs earned 48 of their points – more than 70 percent of the night's offense – from second-chance and turnover opportunities. Of Gonzaga's 13 women to enter the game, 10 scored points, and 12 grabbed at least one rebound.
The Dons close out the week hosting Portland on the Hilltop Sunday at 2 p.m.
