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SPOKANE, Wash - The (RV) Gonzaga Bulldogs wanted to avoid a slow start against Washington State, and did that Thursday as they finished the first quarter on a 21-12 run that gave them a lead they would not relinquish in a game they never trailed in, inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Jill Barta scored 16 points on five-of-eight shooting and added eight rebounds. Kiara Kudron grabbed eight boards as well, and Emma Stach scored a season-high 12 points in 17 minutes of action, going three-of-three from long range. Elle Tinkle hit two early threes and finished with 11 points, and Laura Stockton dished seven assists. The Zags finished at 54.5 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three. The difference in the game came from behind the arc, as GU was 10-of-16 and WSU shot 1-of-11. The Zags controlled the glass, outrebounding the Cougars 36-27.

"Our goal was to come out with intensity on offense and defense," Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier said. "I love the way we came out, and we did a good job overcoming the runs they did make."

The Zags' 34 first-quarter points were a program high, breaking the mark of 33 set against BYU last season at home on February 27. They led 34-20 after one quarter of play.

GU took a 49-31 lead into the half, and after briefly pushing that lead to 21 on a Kudron layup, WSU started chipping away and got it down to 10, 54-44, with 5:30 left in the third. The Zags scored 11-straight in response to that, kicked off by four-straight points from Stockton.

"I thought we played really well," Makenlee Williams said. "There are definitely some things we need to work on, but a win is a win, and I'm happy with how we played."

For Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier it was her 51st win and first over Washington State in three tries. The Zags won in Spokane in the series for the first time since 2010. Barta led the Zags in scoring for the sixth straight game and in rebounds for the fourth straight.

The Bulldogs keep in the instate rivalry week going with a trip to Eastern Washington on Sunday at 2 pm. The game is televised live again on SWX and video stream and live stats links can be found at GoZags.com.