SIOUX FALLS, SD – The No. 21/20 Gonzaga women's basketball fell to No. 1/1 South Carolina 79-72 in its season-opening game at the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD.
 
Gonzaga (0-1) finished with three players in double-figures, led by Jenn Wirth with 16 points off 7-of-9 from the floor to go along with four rebounds. Jill Townsend added 15 points, three rebounds and a career-high seven assists while Cierra Walker added 13 points off 4-of-6 from long range in her Gonzaga debut.
 
The up-tempo contest featured five lead changes and seven ties, while neither team led by more than eight points. GU shot 52.7 percent from the floor while South Carolina (3-0) shot 48.1 percent. The Gamecocks edged out Gonzaga on the boards with a 36-29 advantage, while Gonzaga dished out 20 assists to USC's 12. The Bulldogs committed 32 fouls on the afternoon, sending USC to the line 41 times, of which the Gamecocks converted 25.
 
"Definitely something we can work on is how to defend and learning how to contest without fouling," Townsend said. "That's their game plan is drive, draw fouls, get to the rim. We knew that coming in, that that was going to be a key to our success. Unfortunately, we didn't turn that around the way we wanted to."
 
Gonzaga opened up the scoring in the first quarter off a jumper from Townsend, but South Carolina responded with an 8-2 run to lead 8-4 nearly three minutes into the game. Eight first quarter fouls by the Zags sent the Gamecocks to the line 11 times in the first 10 minutes, but GU offset early foul trouble by shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. With 3:19 left in the opening stanza, USC led by six (19-13), but Gonzaga closed the gap in the final minutes to cut the lead to two, 25-23.
 
The Bulldogs shooting cooled off in the second as they shot 41.7 percent from the floor, but GU locked down defensively, forcing the Gamecocks to shoot 35.7 percent from the floor while forcing four turnovers. South Carolina led 34-28 with 3:11 remaining, but Gonzaga closed the quarter with a 6-4 advantage to head into half trailing by four, 38-34.
 
Three minutes into the third period, Kayleigh Truong found Walker for a three tie the game a 42-all. But a 12-point third-quarter effort by South Carolina's Destanni Henderson helped the Gamecocks earn a six-point lead by the end of the quarter, 58-52.
 
South Carolina held its six-point lead into the fourth period until an 8-2 run in favor of the Zags tied the game at 62-all with 5:41 to go. A layup from Jenn Wirth 20 seconds later gave GU a two-point advantage, and the game saw three lead changes and two ties over the next two minutes. A free throw from Henderson with 3:25 to go put USC on top by one, and the Gamecocks scored eight unanswered points in a two-minute span to take a 74-66 lead with 1:33 to go.
 
A trey from Walker with 54 seconds remaining cut the lead to four (74-70), but South Carolina made free throws down the stretch to seal the win, 79-72.
 
The Gamecocks were led by Henderson with 23 points while Zia Cooke added 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. Gonzaga held the reigning National Freshman of the Year Aliyah Boston to 10 points and five rebounds.
 
"We don't talk about moral victories very often," Head Coach Lisa Fortier said. "We actually say, there are no moral victories, and we believe that. I like that we are tough, and I like that we are not afraid of any opponent…I'm thankful for our veteran group. I think that they showed up big today. Cierra Walker is a veteran—even though she hasn't played for us—Jill, Jenn, LeeAnne and Mel, those guys were ready to play. And they showed the other guys what they needed to do and how we do it."
 
Gonzaga returns to play Monday, Nov. 30 in its final game of the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic against South Dakota at 12 p.m. PT.