Min Leads Gonzaga With Second-Round 77 In NCAA Regional
5/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
SPOKANE, Wash. - Freshman Ciera Min shot a second-round 77 at the NCAA West Regional at Tumble Creek at Suncadia Resort Friday, but for the most part the struggles continued for the Bulldogs with a second-round 319.
The weather didn't cooperate as early-morning temperatures in the low 40s and winds at 20 mph and gusting higher saw 17 of the 24 teams post higher scores Friday than in Thursday's opening round.
Gonzaga is in 22nd place with a 36-hole score of 636, one shot behind San Diego State University and seven strokes in back of Portland State University. Gonzaga, the 17th seed, shot a 317 in Thursday's opening round. Min has a 36-hole total of 155 to lead the Bulldogs.
Top seed and defending national champion University of Southern California shot 294 Friday, 10 strokes higher than Thursday, and Arizona State University came back with a second straight 289 to knot the Trojans for first at 578, two shots ahead of host University of Washington which slipped to third Friday. The top eight teams advance to the NCAA finals with Iowa State University holding the eight spot at 605.
For the second straight day the Bulldogs had just two players break 80, senior Tai Jade 'TJ' Kliebphipat shooting a 79 for a 36-hole total of 159 over the 6,252 yard, par 72 course.
The Bulldogs combined for five birdies Friday.
"It was another bad day for us on the course, but the weather was brutal," Gonzaga head coach Brad Rickel said. "We knew we had to get out to a good start and the weather just didn't allow that to happen."
Rickel said perhaps for the first time this season "we got down on ourselves on the front nine and had to really rally on the back to play better. I'm proud of the way we played the second nine after dealing with our bitter disappointment."
The 54-hole event ends Saturday with the final round and Rickel said the squad "will go out tomorrow and try to play for us and enjoy the day."
Kliebphipat, the lone senior for the Bulldogs, will end her collegiate career with Saturday's final round. The Bulldogs will tee off at 12:55 p.m. Saturday.
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