Jan. 3, 2005

Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Gonzaga University Bulldogs ended their non-conference slate on a high note on Monday night as they won their seventh straight game with a 71-56 victory over Sacramento State University at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs improved to 6-0 at home for the season and 5-0 at home on their current homestand as they improved to 11-2. Sacramento State dropped to 4-7.

Ashley Burke had the Bulldogs off and running to start the game as she scored 11 of her game-high 17 points in the first half, Burke dumping in six of the Bulldogs first 15 points during a 15-2 spurt to open the game. The Bulldogs held Sacramento State without a bucket for the first six minutes, marking the second straight game that GU has run out to a big lead. The University of Denver didn't score for the first 10:25 of their game against Gonzaga last Friday afternoon.

For Burke the 17 point effort moved her up one more notch on the Bulldogs career scoring chart as she tied former Zag Carla Curfman for 6th on the Bulldogs career list with 1,333 points.

After falling behind by the 15-2 margin, Sacramento State climbed back to within eight points with 8:40 remaining as Tyeisha Brown connected for two of her 10 points. That would be as close the Hornets would manage to get as a very efficient Gonzaga offense scored 37 first-half points. The Bulldogs passed out 28 assists en route to making 31 baskets for the game. Gonzaga had 17 buckets on 15 assists in the first half only to connect on 14 baskets on 13 assists in the second half. The 28 assists were the second most by a Gonzaga team in school history.

"This was a good win for our team to have heading into conference play," added head coach Kelly Graves after the Bulldogs seventh straight win. "I thought we played good stretches of basketball tonight and you can't beat the type of success we had in converting baskets off of assists. I think we are ready to get into WCC action on Thursday night."

Gonzaga continued to work their efficient offense in the second half pushing their lead out to as many as 29 points on two occasions before the Hornets made a late run to cut the final margin to 15. Sacramento State shot 53 percent in the second half to off set a 22 percent first half performance. Katelyn Ciampi finished with a team-high 12 points for the Hornets.

Dominique Harris finished with 11 points and Anne Bailey added 10 to round out the Bulldogs top scorers. Gonzaga opens West Coast Conference play at home on Thursday night with a 7 p.m. game against Santa Clara University at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs then wrap up their seven-game homestand on Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. game against Saint Mary's College.