SPOKANE, Wash. – The No. 23 Gonzaga women's basketball defeated visiting UT Martin 78-55 Thursday evening at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Zags outscored the Skyhawks 22-11 in the third quarter to pull away for the win.
 
Gonzaga (2-0) had three players finish in double-figures, led by Jenn Wirth's second-straight 17-point effort. Wirth was 7-of-10 from the floor with four boards, two assists and two blocks. Jill Townsend added 15 points while Katie Campbell finished with 10.
 
The Bulldogs controlled the paint with a 38-16 edge inside while scoring 25 points off 15 UT Martin turnovers. Gonzaga also controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Skyhawks 32-21.
 
Gonzaga opened with 53.8 percent shooting effort in the first quarter to take an 11-point lead (19-8) after the first 10 minutes. UTM responded in the second, netting 7-of-10 attempts--including four treys—to outscore the Zags 23-20. At the half, Gonzaga led by eight, 39-31.
 
"Offensively, we were really consistent, which was nice," head women's basketball coach Lisa Fortier said. "Defensively, that second quarter we were a little casual, unenthused. We were just kind of running around with our players, and they didn't have to work for anything. I was very happy with the way they responded in the second half."
 
The Zags locked down defensively in the second half, particularly the third quarter, as they limited the Skyhawks to just five combined field goals in the final 20 minutes. Gonzaga's LeeAnne Wirth opened the scoring in the second half, sparking a 7-0 Bulldog run with a layup inside at the 9:24 mark of the third. The Zags went on to outscore UTM 13-3 over the next four minutes to take an 18-point lead, 52-34. The Bulldogs limited the Skyhawks to 16.7 percent shooting in the third while forcing three turnovers to lead 61-42 with 10 minutes remaining.
 
"We talked a lot in the locker room about that second quarter," Townsend said. "We talked about how the highlights aren't going to work, no matter who we play. And they' [UT Martin] are a really good team, really good program. We talked about tightening up. In the second half, I thought we executed what we talked about at halftime."
 
GU continued to roll in the final quarter, outscoring the Skyhawks 17-13 to extend their lead to 23 for the 78-55 win.
 
UT Martin was led by Damiah Griffen with 15 points while Chelsey Perry added 10.
 
Gonzaga will return to the floor Sunday, Nov. 17 as it travels to Palo Alto, Calif., to face No. 3 Stanford at 5 p.m. The matchup will be streamed live on Pac-12.com.