Gonzaga women playing for WCC title again
LAS VEGAS – One statistic in the box score said it all: Gonzaga points off turnovers 27, Santa Clara 2. OK, make it two: GU’s edge in second-chance points, 18-4.
And that was with 15:45 minutes remaining in the second half.
The top-seeded Bulldogs showed their dominating regular-season form, piling up points in a hurry and pounding Santa Clara for the third time this season, the latest an 87-47 blowout in the WCC women’s tournament semifinals in front of 2,504, roughly 2,200 of those Bulldogs fans, Sunday at the Orleans Arena.
The 17th-ranked Bulldogs’ 17th straight win propelled them into today’s championship game against Pepperdine.
“They have 12 people that can go for 15-20 points a night and their transition game … they got us into taking quick shots and long rebounds turn into layups at the other end,” said Broncos coach Jennifer Mountain, who was an assistant at Gonzaga under coach Kelly Graves from 2001 through 2008 and helped recruit many of the current Bulldogs. “They’re so long and athletic in every spot, they’re very dangerous.”
Gonzaga (26-4), coming off an eight-day break, sputtered early against the eighth-seeded Broncos (5-27), leading just 13-12. At that point, Courtney Vandersloot and Heather Bowman, GU’s top two scorers, didn’t have a point and were a combined 0 of 6.
That changed seconds later when Bowman posted up and made a layup, triggering a decisive 28-5 run. Santa Clara’s turnovers led to a flurry of GU baskets.
“We usually get one or two (runs) a game,” Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves said. “We’ll have a 20-3 or 25-3 kind of run. … Our defense kind of kept us in there until we got it rolling.”
Gonzaga wasn’t picky. The Bulldogs ran after turnovers, made SCU shots and missed SCU shots. The spurt lasted 7 minutes, 30 seconds, and when it was over, Gonzaga led 41-17.
Bowman’s interior defense on forward Lena Gipson helped keep SCU in check while Vivian Frieson’s six points lifted GU through some offensive struggles. Gipson, who had 23 points and 15 rebounds in the Broncos’ upset win over Portland on Saturday, finished with four points.
“We knew we had to be physical with her,” Bowman said. “We had a plan to deny her the ball and try to keep it out of her hands as much as possible.”
Bowman made 9 of her last 11 shots and scored a team-high 18 points. Frieson finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Vandersloot ended with 10 points, eight assists and four rebounds.
Gonzaga had 16 steals leading to 43 points off turnovers. SCU, playing its third game in three days, committed 32 turnovers.
The Bulldogs grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, which generated 26 second-chance points. GU’s final numbers (87 points, 48.1 percent shooting, 20 assists) were in the ballpark of its season-long averages (81 points, 47.8 percent and 19.4 assists).
Gonzaga 87, Santa Clara 47
Santa Clara (4-27)—Faithfull 0-3 0-0 0, Shoji 2-8 3-4 8, Anderson 3-7 0-0 6, Goldenberger 5-12 4-4 14, Gipson 2-5 0-0 4, Willinsky 2-8 2-2 6, Armstrong 2-5 0-1 5, Richard 0-0 0-0 0, Zurauskyte 0-0 0-0 0, Goeggel 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 18-50 9-11 47.
Gonzaga (26-4)—Bekkering 4-5 1-3 10, Frieson 6-11 0-0 12, Vandersloot 4-12 1-1 10, Bowman 9-15 0-0 18, Shives 3-7 0-0 8, Schick 0-0 0-0 0, TecleMariam 0-0 0-0 0, Lorenzo 0-1 1-2 1, Petersen 0-2 0-0 0, Winters 1-1 0-0 2, Redmon 4-8 0-0 8, Reader 1-2 0-0 2, Standish 2-5 2-2 6, Raap 2-4 0-0 4, Bowen 2-6 2-2 6. Totals 38-79 7-10 87. Halftime—Gonzaga 46-23. 3-Point Goals—Santa Clara 2-9 (Armstrong 1-3, Shoji 1-4, Faithfull 0-1, Willinsky 0-1), Gonzaga 4-13 (Shives 2-5, Bekkering 1-1, Vandersloot 1-3, Lorenzo 0-1, Bowen 0-3). Fouled Out—Gipson. Rebounds—Santa Clara 34 (Armstrong 9), Gonzaga 41 (Standish 11). Assists—Santa Clara 8 (Shoji 3), Gonzaga 20 (Vandersloot 8). Total Fouls—Santa Clara 15, Gonzaga 9.