Zags falter in second half, lose season opener at USC

Briana Gilbreath, Christina Marinacci and Cassie Harberts combined for 40 points in the second half and the USC women’s basketball team used a 12-0 run after the break to erase a halftime deficit and beat No. 22 Gonzaga 79-73 in nonconference action Friday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles in the season opener for both teams.

Courtney Vandersloot paced the Bulldogs with 19 points and five assists, helping them jump out to an early 11-point lead and a seven-point advantage at halftime.

Drawing within four at the 14:11 mark of the second half, the Trojans rattled off 12 unanswered points, led by Gilbreath and Marinacci, who each finished with double-doubles for the Trojans.

Gilbreath finished with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Marinacci added 16 points and 10 boards.

GU rallied to tie the game at 61 with 5 1/2 minutes left, but an 11-4 run by the Trojans with 3:26 remaining pushed them out ahead for good.

“It was just really disappointing today,” GU coach Kelly Graves said in a press release. “The game was there for the taking. I think this is a game we are going to kick ourselves for not winning.”

Katelan Redmon finished with 17 points and five rebounds and Kayla Standish added 15 points for the Bulldogs.

Saint Mary’s 73, Washington State 69: Jasmine Smith scored a game-high 24 points and added eight rebounds as the Gaels upended the Cougars in their season opener in Moraga, Calif.

WSU pulled within three and had a chance to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining, but Jazmine Perkins’ 3-point attempt rimmed out.

Perkins scored 15 of her 17 points in the first half, while Sage Romberg led Washington State with 19 points and three assists.

Rosetta Adzasu added 15 points for the Cougars.

Eastern Washington 80, Cal State Fullerton 70: Tatjana Sparavalo finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, leading five Eagles (1-0) players with double-digit points in their win over the Titans (0-1) in nonconference action in Cheney.

Chene Cooper added 11 points and six assists as EWU shot 48.4 percent from the floor.