Box Score Dec. 3, 2004
Final Stats
TEMPE, Ariz. - Junior forward Ashley Anderson matched a career-high with 20 points on Friday night as the Gonzaga University Bulldogs (4-1) knocked off the University of Nevada (2-2) during the opening round of the Wells Fargo Classic at Arizona State University. Anderson connected on 9-of-11 from the floor to score the 20 points. The Bulldogs will face host Arizona State on Saturday night in the championship game.
Gonzaga opened the game with a 10-2 run over the first three minutes as the Bulldogs continued to play solid defense holding the Wolf Pack to only 29 percent shooting for the game. Gonzaga extended that lead to 26-8 with 3:41 remaining in the first half as the Bulldogs had an 11-2 run during the final minutes.
After Nevada cut the lead to 28-16, Anderson connected for a lay-in and dropped in a offense rebound for two points to end the first half. Gonzaga led 32-16 at the break.
In the second half Nevada drove to the basket and was able to get the Bulldogs into some early foul trouble with Ashley Burke and Anderson each playing a majority of the second half with 3 fouls. Nevada forward April Bankston cut the Bulldogs lead to 37-28 at the 14:41 mark as she hit her second pair of free throws. Bankston would lead the Wolf Pack with 10 points.
"I think we did a poor job of defending their dribble penetration at the start of the second half," mentioned Bulldogs head coach Kelly Graves. "I thought we played a solid defensive half in the first half and then we stepped it up over the final 10 minutes. We will need another solid defensive effort on Saturday night against Arizona State."
The defense was solid all the way around as the Bulldogs limited Nevada to only 29 percent shooting for the game while blocking 12 shots and picking up 8 steals. Several of those blocks led to GU buckets as Anderson connected for three straight fast break scores to push the Bulldogs lead back out to 60-44 with four minutes remainging.
Senior Ashley Burke was also a factor scoring 15 points as Gonzaga scored 36 points in the paint compared to only 14 for Nevada.
