Yvonne Ejim stuffs the stat sheet as Gonzaga women beat New Mexico 81-68

The contributions were numerous, but the Gonzaga women’s basketball team saw another special performance Sunday afternoon from fifth-year senior Yvonne Ejim.

The 6-foot-1 forward was two assists short of the first triple-double in school history. The visiting Zags pulled away from New Mexico 81-68 in a nonconference game at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Ejim, the reigning West Coast Conference Player of the Year, had 26 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists – all game highs. She was a rebound shy of a double-double by halftime with 14 points and nine rebounds to go with five assists.

“Staying connected the whole time definitely helped us play better and it helped me a lot,” Ejim said. “I fed off the energy from my teammates and stops we were getting, so it was easier for me to do what I did thanks to them.”

It was Ejim’s 29th double-double, and she extended her streak of double-figure scoring to 48 consecutive games.

“The team really battled hard,” Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said. “Obviously Yvonne had a great game, but there were a lot of people who had great games. We’re working towards remembering that we need everybody – just making the next great play and not letting the ball get stuck. Some plays are called for players, but (sometimes) the ball gets stuck and we turn the ball over trying to force it. We had much better movement.”

New Mexico (3-3) used a 5-0 surge midway in the fourth quarter to pull within 68-62. But it was all Gonzaga the final three minutes.

It started with Ines Bettencourt hitting two 3-pointers, the first coming just a moment before the shot clock expired. And Esther Little, back after missing three games with a head injury, banked in a 3-pointer, her second of the game, that pushed Gonzaga’s lead to 79-68 with 1:01 to go.

Little is known for her defense, not her shooting.

Maud Huijbens got two baskets during the Zags’ finish, both off nice assists from Ejim.

“I don’t know what to say about it,” Fortier said of Ejim’s all-around effort. “She’s valuable to us in so many different ways.”

It was Gonzaga’s third straight win after a 1-2 start.

The score was tied three times but Gonzaga (4-2) never trailed.

The Zags used a solid start to build a nine-point lead before taking a 38-34 lead into halftime.

Huijbens had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, Bettencourt added 14 points and four assists and Claire O’Connor had her second straight game in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds.

Gonzaga won the battle on the boards, outrebounding the Lobos 46-28.

“We stopped exchanging baskets in the second half and rebounded well,” Fortier said. “That helped us get a little bit of separation.”

Gonzaga moves on to the next test in its 11-game nonconference schedule – three games in three straight days at Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

The Zags were scheduled to fly to Atlanta following the game Sunday and spend two nights before traveling on to St. Thomas. They open the tournament Thursday against Missouri State (3-1). The game tips off at 2:30 p.m. PT and can be seen live on ESPN+.

Gonzaga takes on Texas Tech (6-0) on Friday and concludes with Florida State (5-1) on Saturday.