Box Score SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Gonzaga women's basketball team opened the 2018-19 season in style with a 76-52 win over visiting Montana Wednesday evening at the McCarthey Athletic Center. It marks the 14^th-straight home-opening win for the Zags, dating back to 2004.
 
The Zags made 44.9 percent of their shots from the field, while limiting Montana to 35.0 percent. The Bulldogs was 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) from long range while the Griz were 2-for-15 (13.3 percent).
 
Four Bulldogs finished in double-figures led by Jill Townsend's career-high 14 points. The sophomore was 5-of-12 from the floor including 2-of-3 from beyond-the-arc and was a perfect 2-for-2 from the line. Katie Campbell also posted a career-high with 13 points to go along with a team-high four steals. Laura Stockton and Zykera Rice added 13 and 11, respectively.
 
Gonzaga (1-0) was dominate inside with a 40-28 edge inside the paint while controlling the boards 42-34. The Zags forced 21 turnovers on Montana (0-1) while collecting 14 steals, and the Bulldogs' bench made a huge impact, outscoring Montana's bench 36-7.
 
"21 is a great number to have on turnovers forced," head women's basketball coach Lisa Fortier said. "A lot of them were live-ball turnovers which led to baskets and fouls for us, so we were able to get to the free throw line. I really like how they are getting after it."
 
The Bulldogs gained a 12-point lead (23-11) by the end of the first quarter and extended their lead to 25 (42-17) by the end of the first half. GU limited the Griz to just six second-quarter points behind a strong defensive effort with six steals and turnovers forced.
 
The Zags opened the third on an 11-4 run to reach their largest lead of the game at 32 (53-21) following a jumper from Chandler Smith at the 6:36 mark of the third quarter. Gonzaga cruised in the fourth for the 76-52 win.
 
McKenzie Johnston paced Montana with 17 points and seven assists. Jace Henderson led the Griz with a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
The Bulldogs continue play on the road Sunday, Nov. 11 with a 2 p.m. tipoff at Eastern Washington in Cheney, Wash.