After Another Win, Zags Now Focused On Tourney In Mexico
11/19/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Matt Breach
Special to GoZags.com
SPOKANE, Wash. - While being interviewed by a small cluster of media personnel following his club's latest outing, Kelly Graves offered the following nugget.
"Get this pale face now," the Gonzaga women's basketball coach joked, "because tomorrow we're going to Puerto Vallarta and I'm coming back looking good - George Clooney-esque."
While Graves couldn't wait to get to Mexico to work on his tan, he made sure his squad looked plenty good before its jaunt south of the border. The Bulldogs raced past Monmouth 77-51 on Sunday night in front of 5,561 fans at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
The victory, the Bulldogs' fourth in as many outings, was their most comfortable to date. They trailed only briefly at the beginning and led by as much as 28.
"We wanted to make sure that we didn't look past this game," Gonzaga guard Haiden Palmer said, "because it's obviously exciting to go to Mexico."
The Bulldogs now head to the ocean-side resort town of Puerto Vallarta for the Hardwood Tournament of Hope. The Zags open the three-day event Tuesday against Missouri State.
"I've never been to Puerto Vallarta," Graves said. "I'm looking forward to it - and what a great tournament, what a great opportunity for our players."
But the Bulldogs weren't dreaming about beaches and sunshine Sunday night. They displayed a laser-like focus from the opening tip, particularly Palmer. The 5-foot-8 junior drained her first five shots en route to a team-leading 14 points.
"I think we've had a lot of really strong performances," Palmer said. "But this was the first game we didn't really get behind and have to come back, so that was good for us."
All 14 players on the Gonzaga roster saw game action, with no one logging more than 21 minutes and a dozen playing at least 10. All but two Zags scored.
"This is cool, look at all these minutes played," Graves said. "... That's a beautiful thing."
The Bulldogs were fairly efficient, shooting nearly 52 percent and recording 18 assists on their 31 field goals. They also harassed Monmouth on the defensive end. The Zags utilized their superior speed and athleticism to force the Hawks from New Jersey into 21 turnovers.
"Coach made sure to keep us focused for this game because they're a really good team," Palmer said. "We're really happy that we came out strong in the first and second half."
Now the Bulldogs can finally turn their attention to Mexico. And while it's certainly a business trip, with the primary goal of improving on the court, Palmer admits she is excited for at least one thing that does not involve basketball.
"Other than the games," she said, "I'm looking forward to that sunshine."
