Harris energizes Zags with two career highs
Dominique Harris got out of the dog house and put on a show in The Kennel.
The sophomore guard from Los Angeles had 13 points and seven rebounds, both career highs, as Gonzaga began defense of its West Coast Conference championship with a 70-60 win over nemesis Santa Clara before 1,153 fans at McCarthey Athletic Center Friday night.
Harris had plenty of help as senior Ashley Anderson and junior Stephanie Hawk both had double-doubles. Anderson had 19 points and 13 rebounds, Hawk 16 and 12.
But it was Harris who got the Zags (6-10, 1-0) going against the Broncos (6-8, 0-1).
“I’m working hard in practice every day consistently,” Harris said. “I’m trying to be a better teammate. I guess it all came together.”
Harris came in averaging 2.7 points and less than one rebound in 11.3 minutes per game. Coach Kelly Graves also held her out of three games.
“She did it within our system,” Graves said. “Dominique can be a great player, no question. She has to buy into what we’re doing. She’s being doing it in practice – she earned her time. I expect her to continue to do that.”
The win – over the team that beat them in the conference tournament championship game last March, preventing a trip to the NCAA Tournament – was the Bulldogs’ 18th straight regular-season WCC win.
“That was very sweet,” Harris said. “We prepared for them all week.”
The Bulldogs took a 35-25 lead at halftime thanks to two big runs fueled by Harris.
An 11-1 surge midway through the half, which included six points from Harris, was good for a 22-10 lead at the 8:32 mark. Harris made a free throw and grabbed the rebound on the second miss. After a Broncos free throw, Harris hit a 3 from the left corner and ended up closing the run with a drive. Then it was an 11-0 burst by Stephanie Hawk, with six, and Harris, with five – including a 3 to cap it – that pushed the lead to 17 at 3:20.
The Broncos closed the half with six straight points to make it close and scored the first five of the second half. But Santa Clara couldn’t find a consistent touch from 3-point range, hitting just 6 of 22.
Gonzaga got 43 points from the inside and had a 49-30 rebounding advantage, with 15 on the offensive end.
The Broncos shot just 35 percent and were 4 of 9 from the foul line in the second half.
“We definitely did not control the defensive boards like we wanted to,” said Broncos coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. “The biggest thing is we have to grow up as a team and mature. People need to step up.”
Whitworth 80, Willamette 54
The Pirates women won their fourth consecutive game – and their first in the Northwest Conference – on the wings of a near-perfect first half and timely outside shooting from an unexpected source.
Whitworth (7-4, 1-2) jumped to a 15-2 lead, outrebounded the Bearcats (5-6, 0-3) by 10 and built a 38-18 halftime lead.
Junior center Danielle Wegman, the only non-sophomore Pirates starter, hit both 3-pointers she took in the half and scored 10 points before finishing with a career-high 18. Emily Hendrickson and Holly Ridings combined for 30 more while Kelli Highland came off the bench to add 10, also a career best.
North Idaho 82, Snow 53
Lindsey Koppen scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting to lead the Cardinals (10-5, 3-1 Scenic West Athletic Conference) past the Badgers (5-9, 0-4) in Ephraim, Utah.
Nichole Scott and Ash Gilmore each added 12 points for NIC, which shot 56 percent from the floor.