Gonzaga University
3-1
West Virginia
2-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 8 | 10 | 19 | 20 | 57 |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | 11 | 24 | 9 | 18 | 62 |
Women's Basketball Holds off West Virginia
11/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Gonzaga women's basketball team watched a 19-point lead turn to a four-point deficit before rallying for a 62-57 victory over West Virginia in the 2015 Naismith Hall of Fame Women's Challenge Sunday.
In the first-ever meeting between the programs, the Zags (3-1) used the efforts of two freshmen to power past WVU. Jill Barta and Laura Stockton both scored 14 points, which are new collegiate career-highs for the young duo. Barta made 4-of-8 from the field, while Stockton was 4-for-7. Barta led the game with 13 points at halftime, and Stockton scored 12 of her 14 points in the final 10 minutes.
Trailing 7-6 with 3:08 remaining in the first quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 16-3 run over the end of the period and into the second quarter. A lay-in by Elle Tinkle at the buzzer put Gonzaga ahead 35-18 at halftime. The Zags shot 42.3 percent from the field in the first half and held WVU to 25 percent. The Mountaineers turned the ball over 10 times in the first 20 minutes, while GU committed only five turnovers.
A jumper from Emma Stach gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the game, 37-18, just into the second half. A Tinkle lay-in with 3:27 left in the third quarter put Gonzaga up 43-29. West Virginia then outscored the Zags, 18-1, over the next six minutes. The Mountaineers' 48-44 lead with 7:38 remaining in regulation was their largest of the game.
Bria Holmes hit a three-pointer at the 3:15 mark of the fourth quarter to put WVU ahead 57-54. The Mountaineers did not score again. Gonzaga tied the game three times, but did not take the lead until Stockton hit a lay-in with 1:34 left. Shelby Cheslek and Stockton closed the scoring with four free-throws.
After being held to 0-for-3 shooting from the field in the first half, Holmes scored her game-high 19 points all in the second half. Lanay Montgomery grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and made four blocks.
Tinkle added 12 points for the Zags, along with a game-high four steals. Cheslek had 10 points, seven rebounds and five blocks. Barta also had four blocks.
The Bulldogs' 11 blocks were the most under Lisa Fortier. Gonzaga outrebounded West Virginia, 45-40. The Mountaineers finished with 15 turnovers to GU's 14. Both shot 33.3 percent from the field, GU was 20-of-60 and West Virginia was 21-for-63.
Gonzaga and Grand Canyon meet for the first-time ever Monday at 6 p.m. The `Lopes (2-2) lost to USC, 75-44, in the second game of the Hall of Fame Challenge. GCU was led by Dana Jones' 10 points, while the Trojans' Kristen Simon scored a tournament-high 21 points. Southern California (3-0) and West Virginia meet following the Zags and Grand Canyon.
