Dec. 3, 2010

Box Score

CHENEY, Wash. - Senior Courtney Vandersloot scored a career-high 33 points and junior Katelan Redmon added 21 points to lead the Gonzaga University women's basketball team to a 101-74 victory over Eastern Washington University Friday evening at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.

The Bulldogs improved their record to 5-3 with their third-straight victory, while the Eagles dropped to 1-6 overall.

Vandersloot hit 12-of-17 from the floor, 3-of-3 from beyond the 3-point arc and sank 6-of-6 free throws to finish with her new career-high 33 points; besting her previous high by one point. Vandersloot, the first person to score 30-plus points since Heather Bowman scored 31 against the University of San Diego on Feb. 25, 2009, scored her previous high of 32 points in the Bulldogs 80-77 loss to Marquette University on Nov. 28, 2008.

The Bulldogs closed out the game shooting 62.9 percent (39-of-62) from the field, 48.2 percent (6-of-13) on 3-pointers and went 17-of-20 at the charity stripe. Vandersloot was the key for Gonzaga in the opening half, hitting 8-of-10 from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the 3-point arc and nailing all four free throws for 23 points; her career-high in a half and only 12 less points than the Eagles scored total in the first.

Gonzaga turned the heat on in the final 10 minutes of the half, scoring 35 of its 56 points.

It was still a single-digit lead though with 4:03 remaining after EWU's Breauna Russell hit back-to-back jumpers to put the Zags advantage at 32-25. The Bulldogs would finish the half on a 24-10 run to take the 21-point halftime advantage, with Vandersloot scoring 13 of her 23 points, including a last second 3-pointer.

The Zags finished the half sinking an outrageous 71.4 percent (20-of-28) from the floor, 60.0 percent (6-of-10) on 3-pointers and a perfect 10-of-10 at the charity stripe.

The Eagles hit a respectable 40.0 percent (14-of-35) from the floor.

It was Redmon who opened the second half on fire, scoring six of the first eight points for the Zags. Junior Kayla Standish, who added 13 points in the win, pushed Gonzaga's lead above 30 with an old fashion 3-point play at the 9:56 mark to put the score at 85-53.

Vandersloot secured her career-high in points on two free throws with eight minutes remaining. She was subbed out for the game after hitting the second.

Gonzaga hit the 100-point plateau for the second time this season and 19th time in school history on a layup by freshman Jazmine Redmon with 59 seconds left in the game. Earlier this season, the Zags defeated Whitman College 114-40.

Twelve Bulldogs played in victory, with 11 scoring two or more points. Besides Vandersloot, Katelan Redmon and Standish, senior Janelle Bekkering chipped in 10 points.

Vandersloot, the nation's current assist leader, also dished out eight assists, and Standish brought down 11 boards to register her second double-double of the year.

Eastern Washington was led by Tatjana Sparavalo with 13 points.

Gonzaga is back in action Sunday when it closes out its six-game road swing at the University of Montana. Game is set for 1 p.m. PT.