The Gonzaga women’s basketball team opened the West Coast Conference (WCC) season with a 74-53 win over Portland on Thursday night. The Bulldogs, who have been ranked in the top 25 for the past two weeks, used a strong defensive effort to take control of the game early and never looked back.
Gonzaga was led by senior guard Jill Townsend, who scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Townsend was joined in double figures by freshman guard Jenn Wirth, who had 11 points and seven rebounds. The Bulldogs also got strong contributions from their bench, as sophomore guard Kayleigh Truong and freshman forward Kayla Loyd each scored nine points.
The Bulldogs were able to take control of the game early, using a 14-2 run to open up a 16-point lead in the first quarter. They held Portland scoreless for nearly five minutes during that stretch and never looked back. Gonzaga maintained their lead throughout the game, leading by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Gonzaga’s defense was the key to their victory, as they held Portland to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field and forced 18 turnovers. The Bulldogs also outrebounded the Pilots 44-33, including 16 offensive rebounds.
The win was an impressive start to the WCC season for Gonzaga, as they look to build on their success from last season when they won the regular season conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. With a strong core of veterans and talented newcomers, the Bulldogs look poised to make another deep run in the conference this season.
